MOSCOW, December 28 (RAPSI, Diana Gutsul) – Over 90 persons were acknowledged as victims in a criminal case launched after the crash of TU-154 military plane over the Black Sea, RAPSI learnt in the Investigative Committee’s press-service.
The Committee noted that plane’s crash site was located recently and sea floor is currently being explored using special deep water equipment. Floating crane lifted pieces of the fuselage, engine and flight data recorder. The latter was delivered to Moscow for decoding. Investigators have completed other tasks as well, including examination of discovered elements of clothing, personal items and documents belonging to people who were on board.
The plane, which was carrying out a planned flight to Syria with 8 crew members and 84 passengers on board including journalists, musicians from the famous Alexandrov military ensemble and Elizaveta Glinka, widely known as Doctor Liza, the Fair Aid charity executive director and the inaugural winner of Russia's state prize for achievements in human rights, crashed into the Black Sea on December 25. The aircraft refueled at Adler’s airport and shortly after disappeared from radars.
As Major General Igor Konashenkov, the Defense Ministry’s spokesman, told journalists, no one survived in the crash.
Searches for the crash site are being conducted by rescue services of the Defense Ministry and Ministry of Emergency Situations. Investigative measures are currently underway.