Hundreds of Belarusians pay a last tribute to crew members of IL-76 aircraft (Photo) :: Charter'97 :: News

For about two hours there were many people near the building of Training Center of Aviation department of Transport and Communications Ministry in Aeradromnaya Street. People had come to bid farewell to the crew members of an IL-76 aircraft perished in Somalia as they were laid to rest. According to Salidarnasts, the queue was tailing out for a hundred metres.

The hall of the Training center were the eight coffins were staying was filled to capacity. People bid farewell to commander Ihar Vashkevich (1962), flight engineers Aleh Bandaronak (1962), Dzmitry Nosnikau (1984), Artsyom Sychuhou (1983), aircraft maintenance technician Ivan Hab (1952), a flight radio officer Aleh Kanunnikau (1964), a master controller Ihar Hres (1975), an engineer Mikhail Baglou (1944).

Near the coffins covered with flowers and wraths women relatives were weeping. A doctor arrived to a daughter of the commander. She had a fit of hysteria, however denied medical aid.

People were let into the hall in little groups. The leadership of the former state aviation committee, representatives of Transaviaexport company, Belavia, former pilots had come to pay a last tribute to the crew members.

As about 1.30 p.m. bodies of the crew members of an IL-76 aircraft were taken to Maskouskiya cemetery. They are to be buried in one lot.

According to Radio Svaboda, another funeral ceremony has taken place in Vitsebsk today. At the city cemetery Mazurina a copilot Alyaksandr Hamankou (1966), a navigating officer Henadz Trashkou (1960), a master controller Alayksandr Zernin (1975) are to be buried.

An IL-76 plane belonging to Belarus` state-run Transaviaexport crashed after taking off from the main airport in the Somali capital Mogadishu on March 23. The plane is believed to have been shot down by rebels fighting against the Somali government, their Ethiopian military allies and the African Union force since the beginning of 2007. Transaviaexport had sent the group to Somalia to retrieve equipment from its other plane hit by a ground-fired projectile two weeks before. All 11 Belarusian citizens on board were killed.