Fires in six settlements in Russia’s Sverdlovsk Region left approximately 660 people homeless. In the cities of Sosva, Tayozhny, Visim, Neustroyeva, Karpinsk, and Progress, 178 buildings, including 134 homes, were seriously damaged in the fire. A man born in 1961 was killed in the Sosva fire.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, the fire was started by burning sawdust at a nearby timber processing facility.
An Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) Airbus A320 flying from St. Petersburg to Baku was forced to return shortly after takeoff due to a technical fuselage failure. The aircraft, carrying 155 passengers, made an emergency landing at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg.
AZAL said the crew followed safety procedures, burning excess fuel before landing. Emergency teams at the airport were placed on alert, and the plane landed safely at around 04:43 Baku time, veering slightly off the runway. All passengers were safely evacuated without injuries.
The airline sent another aircraft to St. Petersburg to complete the passengers’ journey to Azerbaijan.
TR