A chartered Russian plane carrying Russia's major league ice hockey team crashed near the city of Yaroslavi after it took off on Wednesday. The aviation accident caused the death of 43 passengers, including some National Hockey League players.

Witnesses said that the Yak-42 plane bound for Belarus burst into flames shortly after it left Tunoshna Airport, which is about 250 kilometres (160 miles) north-east of Moscow, the BBC reports. A witness said the flames were as high as a nine-storey building.

Russian reports indicated that the likely cause of the plane accident was the aircraft hitting a radio mast, then broke up and burst into flames. The aircraft, owned by Yak-Service, started to fly in 1993 and had a valid certificate of airworthiness.

The wreckage of the plane and bodies fell into River Tunoshna, which is a tributary of the Volga.

Majority of the Lokomotiv team were on board the ill-fate jet. They were headed for Belarus to compete in the NFL first match of the season. Among the football team members on board were Lokomotiv's Canadian coach, Brad McCrimmon, and Swedish goalie, Stefan Liv.

Killed also in the accident were Slovakian Pavol Demitra, who played for five NHL clubs, Belarusian defenseman Rusla Salei and Czech forward Josef Vasicek, who was the winner of the Stanley Cup in 2006.

However, two team members survived - Russian player Alexander Galimov, who suffered 80 per cent burns, and Alexander Sizov.

Vycacheslva Fetisov, chairman of the board of directors of the Kontinental Hockey League, said the tragedy was an "irreparable loss for world ice hockey."

Sports enthusiasts said the plane crash is one of the world's worst air disasters in sports history. They described the past NHL off season as one with tragedies and disappointments in which they witnessed the death on three players within four months.

The seven-game Stanley Cup series held in Vancouver also ended in riots after the Canucks lost to the Boston Bruins that resulted to 140 injuries, 100 arrests and millions worth of damaged property.

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