The Latest: Russian divers to work all night at crash site

MOSCOW – The Latest on the crash of a Russian aircraft with 92 people on board en route to Russia’s air base in Syria (all times local):

9:55 p.m.

Russian emergency crews are aiming to work all night searching the Black Sea off Sochi for victims and plane debris after a Russian Tu-154 carrying 92 passengers and crew crashed right after takeoff before dawn.

More than 3,000 people — including over 100 divers flown in from across Russia — were working Sunday from 32 ships and several helicopters to search the crash site, the Defence Ministry said. Drones and submersibles were being used to help spot bodies and debris. Powerful spotlights were brought in so the search could go on around the clock.

Emergency crews found fragments of the plane about 1.5 kilometres (1 mile) from shore. By Sunday evening, rescue teams had recovered 11 bodies and Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said fragments of other bodies were also found.

The military plane was flying from the southern Russian city of Sochi to Syria. Among its passengers were members of the world-famous Russian army choir who planned to perform at a New Year’s concert at the Russian military base in Syria.

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7:15 p.m.

Russia’s transport minister says investigators are looking into all possible reasons why a Russian military plane crashed into the Black Sea with 92 people on board, including the option of a terror attack.

Earlier, a Russian official had downplayed any suggestion of a terror attack. But on Sunday afternoon, after being asked if investigators are looking into a possible terror attack, minister Maxim Sokolov said an “entire spectrum” of possible reasons is being considered.

He added it’s premature to speculate about the cause of Sunday’s crash.

The Tu-154 plane belonging to the Defence Ministry crashed into the Black Sea two minutes after takeoff Sunday morning from the Russian city of Sochi. The plane was heading to Syria, carrying members of the world-famous Russian army choir to a New Year concert at the Russian military base.

All aboard are believed to have died, and so far rescuers have recovered 10 bodies.

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4:15 p.m.

Syrian President Bashar Assad has sent a condolence letter to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, over the plane that plunged into the sea with 92 people aboard.

Assad says he received news of the crash “with deep grief and sadness.”

There appeared to be no survivors after the Tu-154 passenger plane operated by the Russian Defence Ministry crashed into the Black Sea.

The jet was carrying members of the world-famous Alexandrov Ensemble army choir to a New Year’s concert at the Russian military base in Syria.

Assad expressed his condolences to all the victims’ families, adding that the countries are partners in the war against terrorism.

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3:20 p.m.

The Russian Defence Ministry says rescuers are seeing no sign of any survivors of the crash of a Russian plane into the Black Sea.

Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov says that “no survivors are seen” at the crash site about 1.5 kilometres (less than a mile) from the shore.

The Tu-154 passenger plane with 92 people aboard plummeted into the sea two minutes after taking off from the city of Sochi. The plane belonging to the Russian Defence Ministry was heading to Syria, carrying members of the world-famous Russian army choir to a New Year concert at the Russian military base. The cause of the crash isn’t immediately known.

Rescuers already have recovered several bodies, and dozens of ships, drones and divers are looking for more.

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2:30 p.m.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a nationwide day of mourning for victims of the crash of a Russian plane that plunged into the sea with 92 people aboard.

There appeared to be no survivors after the Tu-154 passenger plane operated by the Russian Defence Ministry crashed into the Black Sea Sunday minutes after taking off from Sochi. The jet was carrying members of the world-famous Russian army choir to a New Year concert at the Russian military base in Syria. The cause of the crash isn’t immediately known.

Putin, speaking in televised remarks, announced there will be a day of mourning on Monday.

He says the government will “conduct a thorough investigation into the reasons and do everything to support the victims’ families.”

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1:10 p.m.

Russia’s Defence Ministry says a widely revered Russian charity doctor was on board a Russian plane headed to Syria that crashed into the Black Sea shortly after takeoff.

Yelizaveta Glinka, known as Doctor Liza in Russia, has won broad acclaim for charity work that included missions to the war zone in eastern Ukraine.

Her foundation, Spravedlivaya Pomoshch, or Just Help, says she was accompanying a shipment of medicines for a hospital in Syria.

The Tu-154 that belonged to the Russian Defence Minister crashed into the sea Sunday two minutes after taking off from the resort of Sochi. It was also carrying members of the Alexandrov Ensemble to a holiday concert at the Hemeimeem air base in Syria.

There is no indication anyone survived the crash.

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11:25 a.m.

A Russian official says the crash of a Russian military passenger plane into the Black Sea could have been caused by a technical malfunction or a crew error, but he believes it could not have been terrorism because the plane was operated by the military.

Viktor Ozerov, head of the defence affairs committee at the upper house of Russian parliament, says in remarks carried by the state news agency RIA Novosti that he “totally excludes” terrorism as a possible cause of the crash.

The plane was en route to Russia’s air base in Syria with 92 people on board when it crashed shortly after taking off from the resort town of Sochi. At least one body has been found and there is no word on whether anyone survived.

The Defence Ministry has released a list of the passengers. They include 64 members of the Alexandrov Ensemble, among them its leader, Valery Khalilov. The Alexandrov Ensemble is the official choir of the Russian military, and it also includes a band and a dancing company.

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9:45 a.m.

The Russian Defence Ministry says rescuers have found fragments of the Tu-154 plane that was carrying 91 people en route to the Russian military base in Syria.

The ministry said earlier that the plane disappeared from radars shortly after takeoff from the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Sunday. It carried eight crew and 83 passengers, including members of the world-famous Alexandrov military choir.

The ministry says rescue teams found fragments of the plane at a distance of about 1.5 kilometres (less than a mile) from shore at a depth of 50-70 metres.