MOSCOW, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Two Russian pilots were hailed as heroes for safely landing an Airbus plane carrying more than 200 people in a corn field near Moscow following a bird strike.
The incident, in which no one was killed, was dubbed as the "miracle over Ramensk," the name of the district near Moscow, where the passenger jet came down safely close to Zhukovsky International Airport, southeast of Moscow.
President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, hailed the pilots as "heroes," saying they will receive state awards.
"The plane's passengers and crew remained alive, we wish a speedy recovery to those injured, and congratulations to the hero pilots who saved lives and landed the plane," Peskov told reporters.
Latest data showed that 76 people, including 19 children, have sought medical assistance in the wake of the hard landing and only one woman remains in hospital, Sputnik reported.
The A321 jet was bound for Crimea's capital of Simferopol. It struck a flock of gulls shortly after taking off from the runway, which disrupted the work of both engines.
The engines then caught fire before the jet skidded off the runway during landing, said the emergencies ministry.
The crew "made the only right decision" to immediately land the plane, Russia's Rosaviatsiya state aviation agency chief, Alexander Neradko, told reporters.
"The crew has shown courage and professionalism and deserve the highest state awards," he said.
All passengers have been quickly evacuated during the process, in which 23 people, including five children, were injured.
A total of 20 first aid teams, four medical service units and two helicopters were working on the site.
Russia has formed a special commission to investigate the circumstances of and the reasons behind the accident.
