Russia’s emergencies ministry confirmed the crash of An-148 passenger plane near Moscow on Sunday, February 11.

A ministry spokesman unveiled that fragments of An-148 plane and several bodies had been found close to the village of Stepanovskoye.

Radio contact with An-148 passenger plane of Saratov Airlines had been lost several minutes after takeoff from Domodedovo airport in Moscow, Rosaviatsiya (Russia’s Air Transport Agency) confirmed. 

Rosaviatsiya announced that the An-148 passenger plane of Saratov Airlines (flight 730 Moscow-Orsk) took off from Domodedovo airport at 14:21 Moscow time with 65 passengers and 6 crew members onboard. Radio contact was lost several minutes after takeoff and the plane went out of radars. In happened in Ramensky district, Moscow region.

Among possible causes of the plane crash may be pilot's error, technical malfunction or weather conditions. A team of rescuers was sent to the crash site.