Airliner crashes near Moscow after takeoff; 71 presumed dead

A Russian passenger plane carrying 71 people crashed near Moscow shortly after taking off from one of the city’s airports Sunday. The country’s transportation minister said there were no survivors. Fragments from the Antonov An-148 airliner were found in the Ramenskoye area, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the airport. Footage on state television showed them strewn across a snowy field with no buildings nearby. No on the ground casualties were reported. Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said Sunday afternoon that “judging by everything, no one has survived this crash.” He did not give the number of people on board, but Russian news reports said the plane carried 65 passengers and six crew members. Russia’s Investigative Committee said all possible causes were being explored.