“The two pilots were killed,” he said, assuring that “none of the local residents were injured.”
A Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter jet crashed into a residential building in the Siberian city of Irkutsk today. Two crew members died. pic.twitter.com/roRLdk1npj
— Status-6 (@Archer83Able) October 23, 2022
According to the local department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the plane crashed into a private two-story wooden house, causing a fire in an area of 200 square meters. At least a dozen firefighters poured water on the house, which was partially destroyed by flames, to bring the fire under control, according to a video posted by Kobzev on Telegram.
Russia: A Su-30 fighter jet crashed into houses in the city of Irkutsk after taking off from the Sukhoi plant. pic.twitter.com/crIR7x625U
— Restitutor Orientis II 🇯🇵 (@restitutorII) October 23, 2022
Around 1300 GMT the fire was contained, according to the Ministry’s local department for Emergencies, which broadcast images of a pile of charred debris left behind by the house. Two families lived in this house but were not present.
An open investigation
The governor also expressed his “sincere condolences” to the families of the killed pilots. “It is a great tragedy. It hurts when professionals die,” he said in a video on Telegram, reports AFP.
After the crash, 150 homes were left without power, Kobzev said, promising power would be restored by evening.
For its part, the Russian investigative committee, which is responsible for the main investigations in the country, announced the opening of an investigation into “violation of the safety and operational rules of air traffic”.