AT LEAST 16 people were killed today when a plane carrying 20 skydivers crashed shortly after take-off in central Russia.

The L-410, a Czech-made twin-engine turboprop, went down near the town of Menzelinsk, about 600 miles east of Moscow.

The two pilots reported that their left engine had failed and attempted to make an emergency landing, but the plane’s wing hit a vehicle as it was brought to the ground, and overturned.

The Emergencies Ministry said that seven people were extracted from the wreckage alive, at least one of them with severe injuries.

The official cause of the crash was not immediately determined but an investigative committee has opened an investigation.

While Russian aviation safety standards have tightened in recent years, incidents continue to occur in remote regions of the country.

In July, a Soviet-made AN-26 crashed in the Kamchatka peninsula. All 28 people who were on board died.

Officials attributed the crash to poor visibility in the mountainous region.