As a result of a paratrooper plane crash, at least 16 people have died and several others have been injured.

According to reports, on Sunday, an L-410 jet crashed near a city in the Tatarstan area, killing 16 people and injuring seven others.

The plane was transporting a party of parachute jumpers.

According to the Emergencies Ministry, seven persons were rescued alive from the wreckage.

The plane in question was a Let L-410 Turbolet, a twin-engine short-range transport plane.

Although Russian aviation safety standards have improved in recent years, accidents, particularly involving old planes in remote areas, are nevertheless regular.

An ageing Antonov An-26 transport plane crashed in the Russian far east last month killing six people. All 28 people on board an Antonov An-26 twin-engine turboprop died in a crash in Kamchatka in July. read more