DUSHANBE, September 15, 2008, Asia-Plus — President Emomali Rahmon today sent a telegram of condolences to his Russian counterpart, President Dmitry Medvedev, over a Perm air crash that left 88 dead, according to presidential press service.
In his message of condolences, President Rahmon also asked to convey a word of support and deep sympathy to those who lost their relatives and friends in the air crash.
As it had been reported earlier, a passenger plane en route from Moscow crashed on a rail line in the outskirts of the Urals city of Perm early on Sunday killing all 88 people on board including seven children and 21 foreign nationals. According to Russia’s RIA Novosti, eyewitnesses in a nearby residential area said the Boeing-737-500 caught fire while airborne, at around 5:15 a.m. local time.
The plane, owned by Russian flagship air carrier Aeroflot, was carrying 82 passengers and six crew members, the airline and the emergencies ministry said.
Russia’s Perm Territory holds a day of mourning for the crash victims today.
