Dramatic footage of an airliner fire that killed three people in Siberia on January 1. Russian state TV has aired dramatic footage of an airliner fire that killed three people in Siberia on January 1. The Tupolev 154B caught fire as it was taxiing for takeoff in the Siberian city of Surgut, about 2,100 km (1,350 miles) east of Moscow. Within around 100 seconds the fire completely destroyed the plane, leaving a pile of metal debris. With assistance from airline and ground crews most of the 124 passengers were able to claw their way through the smoke-filled cabin and escape before the explosion.