Investigation opened into plane crashes

Investigation opened into plane crashes Criminal proceedings were opened in connection with the crash of two planes in Russia on Tuesday evening, the Information and Public Relations Department of the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia told RBC. "Criminal cases were opened under Part 3 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (violation of rules for traffic and operation of an aircraft that caused the death of two or more people")," a representative of the Prosecutor General's Office said. A Tu-134 airplane crashed in the Tula region. It was en route from Moscow to Volgograd. Contact with the plane was lost at 22:46 Moscow time. There were 34 passengers and 8 crew on board. Another plane - a Tu-154 - went down in the Rostov region. It was flying from Moscow to Sochi. The aircraft went out of contact at 22:59 Moscow time. There were 46 people on board.

The bodies of three victims of the crash of a Tu-134 plane have been found in the Tula region, RBC TV reported. The aircraft, which was en route from Moscow to Volgograd, went out of contact at 22:56 Moscow time. There were 34 passengers and 8 crew on board.

Earlier, the bodies of six people who died in the crash of another Russian airplane - a Tu-154, had been found in the Rostov region. The Tu-154 was flying from Moscow to Sochi. Contact with the aircraft was lost at 22:59 Moscow time. There were 46 people on board.

Two on-board flight recorders have also been found, one for each plane.