MOSCOW: Seventy-one people on board died in a Russian passenger plane crash near Moscow on February 11 minutes after taking off. It is one of the country's worst ever aviation disasters.

Investigators said the Antonov An-148 plane crashed in the Ramensky district on the outskirts of Moscow at2.48pm

(local time) after taking off from Domodedovo airport.

"Sixty-five passengers and six crew members were on board, and all of them died," Russia's office of transport investigations said in a statement.

Russia's Investigative Committee said numerous possible causes of the crash would be considered, including weather conditions, human error and technical failure, but it did not mention the possibility of terrorism.