Plane crashes off Bangladesh coast, Russian pilot dead

The Antonov An-26 transport plane crashed off the coast of Bangladesh on Wednesday and at least one person, a Russian pilot, was killed, a spokesperson for the local hospital said.

His body was discovered earlier in the day in the Bay of Bengal. The second pilot, a citizen of Ukraine, was seriously injured, TASS News Agency.

"A search for the others is underway," a representative of local emergencies services told reporters.

As for Russia’s Consul General in Chittagong Oleg Boyko, the An-26 transport plane had four Ukrainian crew members onboard.

"According to our data, there were no Russians onboard," the diplomat said.

The plane crashed into the Bay of Bengal at around 9.30 a.m. local time (0400GMT) several minutes after taking off from the Cox’s Bazar airport. The aircraft, en route to Jessore, southwestern Bangladesh, "fell without any reasons," a manager at the airport said.

Local fishermen found two men who were in a critical condition. One of them died of injuries in hospital. Doctors are fighting for the life of the second man. Rescuers and police are searching for the two other crew members.

Local media reports said the plane was used for carrying shrimps and other seafood. The aircraft was owned by Bismillah Airlines and operated by True Aviation.

Source: MENA