The video will start in 8 Cancel

The Daily Star's FREE newsletter is spectacular! Sign up today for the best stories straight to your inbox Sign up today! Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

The passenger plane, an Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet, had made an emergency landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport before bursting into flames on the runway.

Footage shows passengers fleeing the plane down the emergency slide as the back of the aircraft burns.

The SU1492 flight was on its way to Murmansk from Moscow before declaring an emergency shortly after takeoff and returned to the Russian capital.

A total of 41 people, including children, have so far been confirmed dead by Russian authorities.

(Image: TWITTER)

(Image: TWITTER)

"There were 78 people on board, including crew members," the Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement on its website.

"According to updated information, 37 out of them survived."

The aircraft took off at 5.50pm local time (3.50 BST) and had been bound for the city of Murmansk.

The Interfax news agency reports the crew issued a distress signal shortly after departure from Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.

Reports also suggest it did not succeed in its first emergency landing attempt.

An investigation has been opened into the incident.

There were 78 people onboard the flight.

People took to Twitter about the shocking incident.

Kristian Kostov, who competed in the Eurovision song contest in 2017, witnessed the fire from inside another plane at the airport.

He represented Bulgaria with the song Beautiful Mess and finished 2nd.

(Image: TWITTER)

(Image: FLIGHTRADAR24)

He said: "A lot of passengers just started screaming 'oh sh*t sh*t sh*t oh no oh no fu*k nooo!!!!'

"And then we saw that there is a plane on fire right in front of us... I don’t know what to say."

The singer added: "There was an airplane crash right in front of us right now. We are literally shaking."

While another shared a video, also adding: "A plane just caught fire at Sheremetyovo Airport."