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Tons of gold pours from sky in Russia after plane hatch falls off (VIDEO, PHOTOS) Tons of gold fall from sky in Russian cargo plane blunder (VIDEO, PHOTOS)
(about 3 hours later)
Gold bars worth millions of dollars have fallen out of a plane taking off from Russia’s Yakutia region, famous for its diamond deposits. Ruptly was one of the first to film the valuables inside the damaged jet after the incident. A Russian cargo plane has paved a runway with gold after a malfunctioning cargo hatch reportedly left millions of dollars worth of precious metals scattered on the tarmac at Yakutsk Airport. The incident occurred during take-off.
Photos circulating on social media appear to show gold bars wrapped in material scattered on the runway at Yakutsk Airport, in the country’s major diamond-producing region. The precious metals fell from the Nimbus Airlines An-12 plane when its cargo hatch accidentally flew open upon takeoff, Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed on Thursday.  Images circulated on social media appear to show gold bars littered across the ground at the  airport in the eastern Yakutia region. Acting as a deterrent to light-fingered looters, men in luminous jackets can also be seen standing guard over the fallen treasure trove. Ruptly was among the first to capture footage of the valuables inside the damaged jet after the incident.
A Nimbus Airlines An-12 plane was carrying more than nine tons of material belonging to the Mining and Geological Company in the neighboring Chukotka region, Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed Thursday. The unsecured cargo fell from the back of the plane when the hatch opened during take-off. The offending hatch then detached from the plane and fell on a local auto market. No one was injured in the incident.
The plane was carrying more than 9 tons of “concentrate containing precious metal” that belonged to the Mining and Geological Company in the neighboring Chukotka region, the committee said, without naming the metals. The ill-fated hatch fell on the local auto market, causing no injuries.  Yakutsk Airport insists that the plane was operational and was ready for the flight. After leaving its cargo on the runway, the plane made a successful landing in the nearby Magan Airport. The investigative committee did not disclose the nature of the lost metal but Russia’s eastern region is famous for its gold mines and diamond production.
Yakutsk Airport insists that the plane was operational and was ready for the flight. After leaving its cargo on the runway, the plane made a successful landing in the nearby Magan Airport.   Local witnesses reported that the photos were gold, platinum and gems. TASS cited officials from the Interior Ministry as saying that some 172 gold bars weighing about 3.4 tons were recovered. According to the Mash Telegram channel, the total cargo is worth the hefty sum of 21.6 billion rubles (US$380 million).
Media report, citing witnesses, that the glittering metal bars seen in the photos are indeed gold, platinum and gems. TASS cited officials from the Interior Ministry as saying that some 172 gold bars weighing about 3.4 tons were recovered. According to the Mash Telegram channel, the whole cargo is worth the hefty sum of 21.6 billion rubles (US$380 million). According to an official from the Canadian-based Kinross Gold Corporation, which operates mines in Russia, the trove are Doré bars, semi-pure alloys of gold and silver which are later transported to a refinery for purification.
According to an official from the Canadian-based Kinross Gold Corporation, which operates mines in Russia, the trove on the runway are Doré bars, semi-pure alloys of gold and silver, which are created at the site of a mine, and later transported to a refinery for purification. Local residents were hit with ‘gold fever’ after receiving news of the blunder, according to local media reports. A map containing detailed directions to the treasure site was circulated online. However, a law enforcement source told TASS that all the bars have been collected.
Excited by the prospect of a gold rush, social media users were soon joking about braving sub-zero temperatures in search of an unclaimed gold bar. “Is there anyone from Yakutsk? Let’s rush to the airport! There is gold!” a user wrote under hashtag #Yakutskgold. “Siri, find tickets for the next flight from Moscow to Yakutsk,” another joked.
Local residents were hit by ‘gold fever’ after news about the precious metals was leaked to the media, Yakutsk-based outlets reported. A map with detailed directions showing the place of the treasure site has appeared online. However, all the bars have now been collected, a law enforcement source told TASS. “I wish I were in Yakutsk,” one wistful social media user wrote, while another joked that Yakutia is such a rich region that “gold just pours from the sky.”
As soon as the photos emerged on social media, people started making “tongue-in-cheek” comments about the interesting trove on the airport’s runway. “Is there anyone from Yakutsk? Let’s rush to the airport! There is gold!” one person wrote under hashtag #Yakutskgold. Despite freezing temperatures in Yakutsk – meteorologists predict -33C (-27F) on Thursday night – people are ready to try their luck. “Siri, find tickets for the next flight from Moscow to Yakutsk,” one man wrote. 
“I wish I were in Yakutsk,” one person wrote wistfully, while another joked that Yakutia is such a rich region that “gold just pours from the sky.” Indeed the Russian Far Eastern region is well-known across the globe for its gold mines, as well as its jewelry and cut diamond production. 
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