Russian Plane crash : 3 passenger killed

A Soviet-made airliner caught fire Saturday at an airport in Siberia, leaving at least three people dead, three missing and more than 30 hospitalized with burns, carbon monoxide poisoning and other injuries, officials said.

The crew and passengers were able to evacuate the plane before it exploded in a huge fireball. Vadim V. Grebennikov, a spokesman for the region's emergency service, said a fuel tank blew up, spreading burning fuel over an area of up to 1,003 square metres. Investigators have opened a criminal case into violations of air safety rules.