52 killed in Russian plane crash

As many as 52 people, comprising 46 passengers and six crew, were killed when a Boeing 737 crashed in a Russian city on landing Sunday, Xinhua reported.

The BBC, however, put the death toll at 50. It quoted Russian officials as telling local media that there were no survivors. The plane had taken off from Moscow, and was reportedly trying to land but exploded on impact.

The plane belonged to Tatarstan Airlines, and crashed about 7.20 p.m. Sunday. The Emergencies Ministry said there were 44 passengers and six crew members on the flight, the report added. But Xinhua, while citing the same ministry, said there were 52 people in the plane.

There were no immediate indications of what may have led to the crash, but reports said the pilot had already tried to land twice before - and crashed on the third attempt.

Following the plane crash, the Kazan airport was temporarily shut down, with departures and arrivals being suspended, reported the Interfax news agency citing an unidentified air traffic control source.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed to set up an investigation commission for the air crash, said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.