Soviet Officers Reported Dead in Viet Crash
A military plane carrying a 20-member Soviet military delegation and Vietnamese officials crashed in Vietnam, killing all but two of those aboard, a Vietnamese Embassy spokesman said Thursday.
“We don’t have much official information, but yes, the plane crashed and there are only two survivors, both badly injured,” said the spokesman who asked not to be further identified.
The official said the plane crashed Saturday on a flight between Hanoi and Da Nang on the east coast of central Vietnam, where the United States maintained a major air base during the Vietnam War.
He said a 20-member Soviet delegation visiting Vietnam was aboard along with Vietnamese military officials, but he did not know the total number killed or the nationality of the survivors.
In Tokyo, Kyodo News Service quoted “reliable sources” as saying those killed included the 20 Soviets and several Vietnamese officers.
Most Vietnamese military and civilian aircraft are Soviet-made, but there was no indication of the type of craft involved in the crash.
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