MORE than 40 people miraculously survived a plane crash in the north of Russia when a huge An-26 aircraft smashed into a snowfield.
The mangled jet – which cracked in two on impact – landed in a part of the Arctic known as the “end of the world” near Utrenniy airport.
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The captain, co-pilot, and one passenger were injured in the icy crash – but incredibly 41 people survived.
Chilling pictures show the destroyed plane with its nose pointing up at an awkward angle in a bank of snow.
Emergency workers crowd around the aircraft’s tip in the harsh, icy environment.
The Utair flight vanished from radar screens as it attempted to land in thick fog and snow near the newly built airport in the far north of Russia.
The plane came down in a snowfield some 360 miles northwest of regional capital Salekhard which straddles the Arctic Circle.
A Utair spokesperson said flying conditions rapidly deteriorated, with heavy fog and winds forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing.
They crashed at around 3.40pm local time on Friday, info24 reports.
On board were 36 passengers and five crew and all of them survived.
The jet had flown across the Gulf of Ob in the Arctic from an airport in Vladimir Putin’s Sabetta port on the Yamal peninsula.
The North Sea port is used by the Russian despot for vital gas production at its major Yamal plant.
An airline spokesman said: “An An-26 plane flying from Sabetta to Utrenny made an emergency landing after the weather deteriorated dramatically, amid heavy fog and strong wind.
“All 36 passengers and five crew members were evacuated to the airport building.
“One passenger and two crew members were lightly hurt and received medical assistance.”
An Interfax report made clear that the plane crash landed more than one mile from the airport.
Cops have launched a formal investigation into the cause of the smash.
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