All 88 aboard killed in Russian airliner crash

A plane carrying 88 people crashed in central Russia early today killing all aboard, an emergency official said.

The Boeing 737 traveling from Moscow to Perm went down about 3:40 a.m., said Emergency Situations Ministry spokeswoman Irina Andrianova.

The plane, operated by a division of Aeroflot, was on its approach to land in Perm when it crashed into an unpopulated area of the city, she said. The plane carried 82 passengers, including seven children, and six crew members, she said.

She said there were no deaths or damage on the ground and investigators were working to determine what caused the accident. There was no indication of a terrorist attack, she said.

Perm is about 750 miles east of Moscow.

Russia and the other former Soviet republics have some of the world’s worst air traffic safety records, according to the International Air Transport Assn. Experts have blamed weak government controls, poor pilot training and a cost-cutting mentality among many carriers that affects safety.