The death toll in the Saturday's plane explosion in the Siberian city of Surgut has reached three, and the number of injured has climber to forty-four, a spokesman for the local branch of the Russian Emergencies Ministry said, RIA Novosti reported.
Earlier there was information about only one person killed in the explosion and thirty-four injured.
Four of those hospitalized after the fire on board the Tu-154M aircraft from Kogalymavia Airlines are in critical condition; one child is on intensive care, a spokesperson for the Health Ministry said. Health ministry's chief toxicologist and other health officials are rendering aid to the victims of the explosion.
Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency spokesman Sergei Izvolsky said there were 116 passengers and eight crew members on board the plane which was to land at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport.
A criminal case has been launched in connection with the airplane accident. Several hours after the explosion the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) announced on its website it has forged a commission to probe the accident.
Russia's Transport Minister Igor Levitin said that an inter-departmental commission to look into the causes of the explosion was set up.