Death toll rises in Ukraine airshow disaster

KIEV -- The death toll from the crash of a Ukrainian air-force jet during an airshow in western Ukraine has risen to 83, including 19 children, the ministry for emergency situations told AFP yesterday.

Another 116 were injured when the plane ploughed into a crowd of onlookers and burst into flames, a ministry official here, Sergui Partalian, said.

Of those, 66 were still in hospital yesterday, including 23 in serious condition, he added.

However he warned it was not yet possible to give an accurate death toll as many victims had been torn apart in the accident, making the body count difficult.

The low-flying Russian-made Sukhoi Su-27 jet appeared to lose control before hitting the ground and exploding during the show in Sknyliv, near Lviv, on Saturday.

The two pilots were able to eject to safety at the last minute. They were admited to hospital without life-threatening injuries.

In response to the tragedy, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma fired the country's air-force commander-in-chief, Viktor Strelnikov, and the commander of the 14th Air Force Division which participated in the airshow, Viktor Oniszhenko.

He urged a ban on military airshows in Ukraine. -- Sapa-AFP