1 Dead, 18 Injured As Plane Catches Fire In Russia

One person apparently died of a heart attack and 18 people sought medical help when a plane skidded on a runway in the Olympic city of Sochi in Russia, slipped into a river and caught fire at time of landing early Saturday.

The Boeing 737, departing from Moscow with 166 passengers and six crew members, flew over a runway as it attempted to land in the seaside resort of Sochi on the Black Sea, damaging a wing and catching fire .

"Following the landing at Sochi airport, 18 asked for medical help," said regional health authorities. Among the wounded were three children, investigators said, who opened a criminal investigation.

During the rescue operation, an airport employee died, possibly from a heart attack, a spokesman for Sochi airport told AFP in a statement.

Sixteen paramedics worked on the scene, the authorities said, adding that the fire had been extinguished.

The plane was operated by the airline Utair.

Sochi hosted the Olympic Winter Games in 2014.