Three days after making an emergency landing on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, the occupants of a cargo plane have been rescued. They survived the ordeal by digging a hole in the snow.
The three were transporting supplies between Milkovo and Ossora, approximately 500 kilometers apart. During the flight, their aircraft, an Antonov 2, lost altitude and speed due to ice formation, prompting the crew to make an emergency landing in the snowy wilderness.
The plane overturned during the landing, and the crew struggled to free themselves due to the shifted cargo. With limited food and exposed to freezing temperatures, they survived by burning some fuel.
They managed to activate the plane’s emergency beacon, but poor weather delayed rescue efforts for two nights until a helicopter located them. The local authorities reported that the crew described their rescue as a miracle, even calling it a new birthday, as they had survived the incident.
Source: NOS