Moscow, Jul 12 (AP) A Russian passenger jet crashed Friday while flying empty, killing its crew of three, officials said.

The Sukhoi Superjet went down in the Moscow region, according to Russian emergency officials.

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The authorities said the plane belonged to Gazprom Avia, a carrier owned by the Russian state-controlled natural gas giant Gazprom.

They said the plane was heading to Moscow's Vnukovo airport following repairs when it crashed.

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The Investigative Committee, the country's top state criminal investigation agency, has launched a probe into the crash. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)