Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended his condolences over the death of people in the An-148 passenger plane crash in the Moscow region and ordered to set up a government commission to probe into the crash, Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday.

"The president has instructed the government to set up a special commission over the plane crash in the Moscow region," he said. "Putin also instructed relevant agencies to organize the serach operation."

"The president offers his profound condolences to those who lost their relatives in the crash," Peskov said.

Radio contact with an An-148 passenger plane of the Saratov Airlines (flight 730 from Moscow to Orsk) that took off from the Domodedovo airport at 14:21 Moscow time was lost several minutes after the takeoff. Fragments of the plane were found near the village of Stepanovskoye in Moscow region’s Ramensky district. There were 65 passengers and six members of the crew onboard the plane. According to preliminary data, no one has survived.