Russian charter plane with 6 onboard crashes in Afghanistan

Russian charter jet crashed

MOSCOW, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A Russian charter jet with six people onboard crashed in Afghanistan on its way to Moscow from India via Uzbekistan, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency confirmed on Sunday.

Russia's Investigation Commission on Sunday launched an investigation into the accident, while Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the Russian embassy in Afghanistan is now cooperating with local authorities on the aftermath of the crash.

The Federal Air Transport Agency said in an earlier statement that a Dassault Falcon 10 went missing Saturday night in Afghanistan, with four crew members and two passengers onboard.

The aircraft, owned by Athletic Group LLC and an individual, was performing a charter sanitary flight from Gaya, India, via Tashkent of Uzbekistan, to the Zhukovsky airport near Moscow, said the Russian aviation watchdog.