A Russian strategic bomber crashed during a routine flight over the Siberian region of Irkutsk, killing one of the crew members, regional authorities said early Friday.
Russias Defense Ministry initially reported the crash of theTu-22M3 bomber late Thursday, saying the crew managed to eject from the aircraft.The plane crashed in an uninhabited area.
There is no damage on the ground, Russias Defense Ministry was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency.According to military officials, the suspected cause of the Tu-22M3 bomber crash was a technical malfunction.Videos circulated on social media show the plane catching fire mid-air.Irkutsk region Governor Igor Kobzev initiallysaidThursday that four crew members on board the aircraft managed to parachute to safety.
But he later wrote one had died.Tomydeepregret,oneof the pilots could not be saved, Kobzev wrote Friday morning, adding that the surviving crew members were hospitalized withinjuries of varying severity.Expertsnowhave to determine the exactcause of the crash, the governor said.