Russian officials have confirmed the majority of the Kontinental Hockey League team Lokomotiv was on board the plane that crashed Wednesday just moments after taking off from an airport near Yaroslavl.
The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said the Yak-42 was carrying 37 passengers and 8 crew members when it slammed into the banks of Volga River about 150 miles northeast of Moscow. Only two people - Russian player Alexander Galimov and an unidentified crewmember - survived. Both are in critical condition. The flight was headed to Minsk, where Lokomotiv was set to play Dinamo Minsk on Thursday.
The cause of the crash remains unclear and is under investigation. Weather is not believed to be a factor as it was sunny and clear at the time of the accident. Rescue teams and divers were sent to the crash site to recover bodies. President Dmitry Medvedev and the Russian transport minister will reportedly visit the site.
Rene Fasel, president of the international Ice Hockey Federation, called the crash a “terrible tragedy” for the entire hockey community. "This is the darkest day in the history of our sport. This is not only a Russian tragedy, the Lokomotiv roster included players and coaches from 10 nations,” Fasel said.
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