Airport, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Transport

The accident happened at 10.18 a.m. and it was a Polish transport plane used by DHL that had come from Finland. There were four crew members and two cargo attendants on board the plane. One 60-year-old man was taken to hospital with a concussion, others were not injured.

Economy and communications ministry spokesman Kalev Vapper said that the plane came from Finland and failed to land at Tallinn Airport as one of the landing gears did not work. When it went on another round, engine problems emerged and the plane made an emergency landing on the lake.

Rescue Board spokesman Ants Raava said that some fuel is leaking from the plane but none has reached water.

There was around 3 tonnes of cargo on board the plane and the same amount of fuel, Interior Minister Marko Pomerants said at the government’s regular Thursday press conference. Pomerants said that rescue officials are trying to make sure that the fuel doesn’t get into the water and the plan is to pump all fuel out of the plane. Pomerants confirmed that the drinking water of residents of Tallinn is not in danger at present.

EPL Online said though that around 200 litres of fuel has flown into the lake.

Although the plane landed near the shore of the lake, the rescue work was complicated at first since the ice on the lake was covered with deep snow.

Three hours after the accident, the plane had partially sunk through ice despite the efforts of rescue workers to remove it from the ice.

Lake Ülemiste right next to Tallinn Airport is the main source of drinking water for the city of Tallinn.