One of Russian carrier Aviastar-Tu’s Tupolev Tu-204C freighters has been destroyed in an accident in China, apparently as a result of a ground fire.
The aircraft has been captured in photographs, circulated on social media, burning at Hangzhou airport, surrounded by firefighting vehicles and other emergency attendants.
It appears to be Aviastar-Tu’s airframe RA-64032, which was originally delivered to Perm Airlines in 2002, although this is yet to be verified.
The twinjet bears a distinctive livery featuring the logo of the Chinese logistics firm Cai Niao, based in Hangzhou.
Its fuselage has been destroyed by the event, leaving the aircraft’s nose on the ground and its aft fuselage and empennage fractured and separated.
Little information is available as to the cause of the accident, whether there was hazardous cargo on board at the time, or the condition of any occupants. The aircraft had apparently arrived from Novosibirsk on 8 January.
Aviastar-Tu is based in Moscow and operates a fleet of Boeing 757 freighters as well as a small number of Tu-204s.
