Russia's news agency TASS reported quoting Alexei Kuznetsov, an aide to the Russian minister of health, that 16 of the 22 people on board the flight had been killed in the incident while remaining six had been rescued and shifted to medical facilities in Menzelinsk and neighbouring Naberezhnye Chelny.

According to media reports, the Czech-built L-410 Turbolet twin-engine short-range transport aircraft, which belonged to a local aero club, made a hard landing shortly after take-off due to a possible engine failure near the city of Menzelinsk while it was carrying 20 skydivers and two crew members.

Image: Russia's Emergencies Ministry

Shortly after taking off, at an altitude of 70 metres (230 feet), the pilots had reported a technical problem and requested an emergency landing, but they could not make it, Russian state-owned domestic news agency RIA Novosti reported quoting the head of the Tatarstan republic, Rustam Minnikhanov.

Tatarstan's presidential spokesperson Lilia Galimova said that a day of mourning will be observed in the republic on Monday (Oct 11) for the victims of the plane crash.

Local media reported that an investigation into the reason behind the accident had been initiated.