No survivors have been spotted in the Black Sea at the crash site of a Russian military TU-154 plane that had disappeared from radar over the Black Sea with 91 people on board, Major-General Igor Konashenkov told reporters on Sunday.The plane, which he said had been carrying 93 people, including dozens of Red Army Choir singers, dancers and orchestra members, crashed into the sea on its way to Syria on Sunday morning."Fragments of the Tu-154 plane of the Russian defence ministry were found 1.5 kilometres from the Black Sea coast of the city of Sochi at a depth of 50 to 70 metres," the ministry said, according to the French Press Agency (AFP).Other Russian news agencies reported earlier that the Russian aircraft had disappeared from radar soon after taking off from Sochi, a Black Sea resort town.
The ministry said the plane was carrying the famous Alexandrov military band (also known as the Red Army Choir) for a concert at the Russian air base in Syria.A file picture dated 12 July 2013 shows members of the Russian Red Army Choir performing at the Roman theater of Carthage during the International Festival of Carthage in Tunis, Tunisia (EPA Photo)
A total of 83 passengers and eight crew were on board when the plane dropped off radar early Sunday. Emergency services are searching for the plane, a Soviet-designed three-engine airliner, the ministry said.
Nine journalists were among the passengers, according to the Interfax news agency.
Russian media reports said the plane disappeared over the sea a few minutes after takeoff.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was personally coordinating the rescue efforts, and President Vladimir Putin has received official reports on the incident.
The most likely cause of the crash was either a problem with the plane or pilot error, another state news agency, RIA Novosti, cited an undisclosed source as saying.Russian federal investigators have opened a criminal case into the incident on charges of disobeying aviation rules, the Investigative Committee said in a statement on its website.