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Plane with KHL players crashed, 44 dead

Plane with KHL players crashed, 44 dead Monday update. Former Av´s players Ruslan Salei and Karlis Skrastins together with famous Slovak star Pavol Demitra are dead + Colorado statement.

Monday update: The sole survived hockey player, Alexander Galimov, has died in hospital in Moscow. He had burned 90 % + of his body and was in the critical condition. In spite of that, he was able to communicate with his family. For now, the only survivor is a plane engineer Alexander Sizov. His health is little better than was Galimov´s.

The plane tragedy in Russia on Wednesday 7th September killed 44 people including the whole team of KHL´s HK Yaroslavl. Karlis Skrastins, Ruslan Salei, Pavol Demitra and other famous former NHL players were on board. There was memorial service in Minks next day where was the team supposed to play. The second memorial service was held in Yaroslavl´s hockey stadium on Saturday. Bodies of all dead hockey players were taken to their home cities and states.

Many countries and hockey federations have already presented ideas to name streets, hockey stadiums, schools or squares in honor of dead hockey players. Experts denied the low quality fuel as a cause of the tragedy. They have both flight recorders and expect that the broken engine was the main cause. HK Yaroslavl will not play in KHL this season, but likely to build new team for the season 2012/13. KHL´s authorities already accepted new rules for transportation.

This is the last entry to this article. We will inform you about updates on this tragedy in Breaking News at the top of our website. Thank you for your attention. Good luck, Alexander Sizov.

R.I.P. HK Yaroslavl and cabin crew.

Thursday update: Rescuers founded and identified bodies of all 43 victims. Cause of accident - broken engine or low quality fuel. The news about Russian deceased player´s mother death is not true. KHL will resume on Monday with many changes in transport of all teams.

There was a memorial service at Minsk´s arena where Jaroslavl team was supposed to play today. Fans in many countries have met outside hockey arenas to pay tribute to victims. Rescuers found both flight recorders.

It is not clear now if HK Lokomotiv Jaroslavl will play in the upcoming season. There are ideas to take players from all teams of KHL and unite them in Jaroslavl. Alexander Galimov has burned 90 % of body, but is alive. The second survivor, crew member, is in the better condition.

Wednesday tragic news: At least 43 people have died in a Yakovlev Yak-42 passenger plane crash near the city of Yaroslavl in Central Russia. Some reports have the death total at 42. According to Sov Sport, Locomotiv has confirmed that the entire main roster, plus four players from the youth team, were on the plane. The crash occurred at 12 p.m. Moscow time.

The plane went down and caught fire shortly after taking to the air. It was en route to Minsk, Belarus for a Thursday night game against Dynamo Minsk.  Preliminary reports say it had insufficient lift and hit a beacon tower. The crash site is between 500 and 1,000 meters from the runway, according to different reports. The dispatcher said the pilot did not report any problems. He mentioned only very low speed and long take-off. The plane was supposed to be weaned within few weeks.

The team's head coach, Brad McCrimmon, played in the NHL and most recently served as an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings before taking the Yaroslavl job in May. Defenseman Karel Rachunek, Ruslan Salei and Karlis Skrastins, as well as forwards Pavol Demitra and Josef Vasicek  all spent a good deal of time in the NHL. Forward Alexander Vasyunov played a handful of games with the New Jersey Devils  ast season.

Two men have survived – player Alexander Galimov (confirmed by his agent) and aircraft technician Sizov. Some media reported Galimov´s death in the hospital due fatal injuries but it was later denied by doctors.

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, founded in 1949 as the team of the Railways Ministry, is one of Russia’s leading hockey teams and came runner up in the Kontinental Hockey League in 2008 and 2009. In 1997 it took the Russian Superleague title and won back-to-back championships in 2002 and 2003.

Stay with Eurolanche for upcoming news and stories next days.

Sources: RT, NHL.com and more

Colorado Avalanche statement

The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club released the following statement regarding this morning’s plane crash carrying the Lokomotiv KHL hockey team.  

“The entire Colorado Avalanche organization is deeply saddened by this morning’s horrific news regarding the Kontinental Hockey League’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl,” said President Pierre Lacroix.  

“Moreover, we are all in a state of shock regarding the deaths of former Avalanche defensemen Karlis Skrastins and Ruslan Salei.  Our thoughts and prayers go out their families as well as those involved in this devastating incident.”

“I am still in disbelief about today’s tragic news,” said Executive Advisor/Alternate Governor Joe Sakic.  “Both Karlis and Ruslan were unbelievable individuals and great teammates.  They will be sorely missed.  My condolences go out to their families and all those affected in this tragedy.”

Skrastins spent four seasons with the Avalanche, appearing in 275 regular season games from 2003-2004 to 2007-2008.  He set an NHL record of 495 consecutive games played by a defenseman, while playing for the organization.

Salei spent three seasons with the Avalanche, appearing in 101 regular season games from 2007-2008 to 2009-2010.

List of victims and survivors:

Passengers:: 

1.Anikeenko Vitaly 
2.Bahvalov Yuri 
3.Belyaev Alexander 
4.Balandin Mikhail 
5.Vasyunov Alexander 
6.Vashichek Joseph 
7.Vyuhin Alexander E. 
8.Ditrih Robert Genrikhovich 
9.Demitra Pavol
10.Zimin Andrey 
11.Kalimulin Marat Natfullovich 
12.Karpovtsev Alexander G. 
13.Kalyanin Alexander I. 
14.Kiryuhin Andrey 
15.Klyukin Nikita 
16.Korolev Igor Borisovich 
17.Krivonosov Nikolai 
18.Kunnov Evgeny 
19.Kuznetsov Vyacheslav Mikhailovich 
20.Liv Stephen Daniel Patrick 
21.Marek Jan
22.MakKrimmon Brad Byron 
23.Ostapchuk Sergey I. 
24.Piskunov Vladimir Leonidovich 
25.Rahunek Karel 
26. Ruslan Salei Albertovich 
27.Sidorov Evgeny 
28.Skrastinsh Karlis Martinovic 
29.Snurnitsyn Pavel 
Daniel E. 

30.Sobchenko 
31.Tkachenko Ivan Leonidovich 
32.Trahanov Pavel 
33.Churilov Gennady S. 
34.Shuvalov Maxim A. 
35.Yarchuk Artem Nikolaevich


Crew: 

36.Solomentsev Andrey, commander
37.Zhivelov Igor Konstantinovich, co-pilot 
38.Zhuravlev Sergey
39.Sarmatova Elena
40.Maksumova Hope Murzafarovna
41.Shavina Elena
42.Matyushin Vladimir Yurevich
43. Galimov Alexander (died in hospital)

Survived: 

Sizov, Alexander B. (plane engineer)


David Puchovsky, Slovakia, eurolanche@eurolanche.com
12/09/2011 - 09:05
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