44 people were killed, when an aging Russian airliner slammed into the ground and caught fire, as it tried to land on a foggy night in northwestern Russia, late Monday.

The accident occurred in the northern Republic of Karelia. The republic will observe three days of mourning from June 22nd to June 24th, with state flags flown at half mast and the cancellation of TV and radio entertainment. The Tupo-lev-134 veered off course while coming in to land and controllers ordered the pilot to circle again, but it hit a power line.

Preliminary investigations show the crash was caused by the pilot missing the runway, due to adverse weather conditions. Investigators are also looking at whether technical problems contributed to the crash. Valery Okulov, Russia's deputy Transport Minister says the reason will be clarified by the International Aviation Committee.

Okulov said, "Judging from the crash site itself, from the accident, we can come to just a preliminary conclusion that the plane descended prematurely. The reason for this premature descent will be clarified by the International Aviation Committee."

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