Russia Plane crash: Airport worker dies, 18 injured

The health ministry says 18 people were injured in the accident, which occurred about 3 a.m. (0000 GMT) as the Utair-operated Boeing 737 from Moscow, carrying 164 passengers and six crew members.

There were no deaths reported among the 164 passengers and six crew members aboard the Utair Boeing 737, but the Russian health ministry said 18 people were injured. The fire was extinguished within eight minutes, the airport said. (Photo | AP) 

MOSCOW: Russia's transportation minister says a supervisor at Sochi airport has died during an emergency response after a landing plane careered off the end of the runway into a riverbed and caught fire.

The health ministry says 18 people were injured in the accident, which occurred about 3 a.m. (0000 GMT) as the Utair-operated Boeing 737 from Moscow, carrying 164 passengers and six crew members, was landing.

A view of the Utair-operated Boeing 737-800 which skidded off the runway and caught fire during landing, at Sochi international airport, of the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018. (Photo | AP)

The airport said the fire was extinguished within eight minutes.

Transportation minister Yevgeny Ditrikh said airport shift supervisor Vladimir Begiyan, who was one of the first responders to the accident, died of a heart attack at the scene.

The cause of the crash has not been determined.