Russian plane crash-lands; most of 39 on board hurt

A Russian military plane crash-landed on Monday while approaching an Arctic airport, injuring most of the 39 people on board, officials said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the plane, an Il-18 turboprop, crash-landed near the town of Tiksi in the Sakha-Yakutia region on the Laptev Sea. The plane carrying 32 passengers and a crew of seven was flying from Kansk in eastern Siberia, around 2,300 kilometers southwest of Tiksi.

Rescue helicopters evacuated people from the crash site, and 32 were hospitalized in Tiksi, including 16 in grave condition, the ministry said.