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Number of Plane Disasters in Russian Soars by Third

The number of plane crashes in Russia increased by 32 percent in 2014, the Emergency Situations Ministry said Wednesday.

"The number of aviation accidents during 11 months in 2014 totaled 37, which exceeds the statistics for the same period in 2013 by 32 percent and the long-term annual average by 15.6 percent," the ministry was cited by RIA Novosti state news agency as saying.

The accidents on small aircraft were caused by factors including violations of aviation safety regulations, poor maintenance and an increased number of aircraft, the ministry reported.

Gazeta.ru news website earlier labeled 2014 the deadliest year for flights.

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