MOSCOW — Over 40 people are dead, including at least two children, after a passenger plane crash landed in a fiery blaze at a Moscow airport on Sunday.

The Moscow Times reports that the Murmansk-bound Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet had requested an emergency landing shortly after taking off from Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport.

Russia's state-run TASS news agency cited crew members as saying this resulted from the plane being struck by lightning.

Footage of the landing shows the plane slamming into the runway at full speed, before being briefly launched up again. As it hits the runway a second time, the tail bursts into flames.

According to the Moscow Times, Russia's Investigative Committee confirmed the deaths of 41 of the 78 passengers on board. Of the 37 survivors, CNN reports that five are still in the hospital.

Aeroflot said in a statement that the aircraft was evacuated in 55 seconds, with the captain being the last to exit.

According to News.com.au, there are unconfirmed claims of passengers stopping to grab luggage from the overhead compartments, which may have delayed evacuation.

The Moscow Times reports that an investigation has been opened to look into safety violations that may have led to the deaths.