Victims’ bodies found in Russian plane crash

Rescuers have recovered the bodies of 19 of the passengers on a plane that crashed Tuesday in eastern Russia.

The Soviet-made AN-26, run by the Kamchatka Aviation Enterprise, is believed to have attempted to land twice in foggy conditions when it crashed into a cliff. All 28 of the passengers on board are believed to have died.

Kamchatka’s governor, Vladimir Solodov, told a Russian news agency that the “first bodies are being pulled out (of the water),” The Associated Press reports. One body has already been identified.

Three days of mourning have been declared in Kamchatka in light of the crash. According to the AP, officials have said that the families of the victims will receive payments of more than 3.5 million rubles — about $47,200 — in compensation from the airline, insurance and subsidies from the regional government.

One of the passengers on the plane was Olga Mokhireva, head of the local government for the town of Palana. Solodov said government officials will be traveling to Palana on Wednesday.

Authorities are looking into three possible causes for the crash: bad weather, malfunctioning equipment or pilot error.

The AP notes that an Antonov An-28 that also belonged to the Kamchatka Aviation Enterprise crashed into a mountain in 2012 while on the same route as the plane that crashed Tuesday. Of the 14 passengers on board that flight, 10 died. Both pilots who died were found to have alcohol in their blood.