Two pilots killed as Su-30 crashes on house in Irkutsk

Two pilots were killed as a result of the crash of the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet in Irkutsk, Interfax reports.

No casualties among civilians were reported. The head of the region Igor Kobzev confirmed this information.

The accident took place on Sunday, October 23. The Su-30 took off from a local aircraft factory before it crashed on a two-storied house.

As many as 150 houses in Irkutsk were left without electricity after the crash, the regional authorities said.

The pilots died before the aircraft crashed, Mash Telegram channel said. According to unconfirmed reports, they suffocated during the flight.

The military plane took off from the airport at 17:47 local time. The contact with the aircraft was lost soon atterwards. Another Sukhoi aircraft was sent after the Su-30, and the crew saw the pilots unconscious as the aircraft was losing altitude.

The Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case into the crash of the Su-30 multipurpose fighter in Irkutsk, TASS said.

The aircraft was performing a test flight and was carrying no weapons on board. The criminal case was initiated under Article 263 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Violation of the rules for traffic safety and operation of air transport”),” the department said.

Fire and rescue units are working on the crash site, the Ministry for Emergency Situations said.