Russian Military Cargo Plane Crashes Killing 15 People On Board

A military cargo plane with 15 people on board crashed shortly after takeoff from an airfield in Russia on Tuesday, reports said.

According to Russia's defence ministry, the Ilyushin Il-76 military cargo plane crash took place in the Ivanovo region, which is 200 kilometres (125 miles) east of Moscow killing all persons on board.

"An Il-76 military transport plane crashed in the Ivanovo region while taking off to perform a scheduled flight. On board were eight crew members and seven passengers," the defence ministry said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies. 

Unverified videos on Russian social media networks showed a plane with one engine on fire heading downwards. A dark plume of smoke was shown rising into the sky as a helicopter circled.

"An engine fire during takeoff was the likely cause of the crash", the statement of the Defence Ministry added.

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