Russian ice hockey tragedy - the teams that also died

THE SPORTING world is in mourning after a plane carrying the Russian ice hockey team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl crashed yesterday afternoon, killing most of the side's players.

The team had been heading for Minsk, where they were due to face Dinamo Minsk in the opening match of the Continental Hockey League season. After taking off from an airport near Yaroslavl in western Russia, their plane was seen struggling to gain height before crashing and catching fire on the banks of the River Tunoshna.  

Ice hockey is hugely popular in Russia. Thousands of fans have gathered at the team's stadium to mourn, while President Dmitry Medvedev called the disaster a "shock for the entire country" as he laid flowers at the site (above), promising a full investigation into the incident.

But it isn't the first time a sports team has been virtually wiped out in a plane crash...

Old Christians rugby team, 1972

In 1972, the Uruguayan ruby team Old Christians were flying to a match in Chile when their plane's wings were clipped in bad weather, forcing a crash landing in the high Andes. Twelve people died on impact, with another five succumbing to injuries by the next morning, leaving the remaining 28 survivors to take shelter and await rescue.

However a combination of the plane's faulty tracking system and white exterior – causing the vehicle to blend in with the snow – meant search parties failed to locate the wreckage and were called off after eight days. For over two months the trapped survivors were stuck in the mountains, eating bits of luggage, seat cushions and eventually their dead fellow players before being finally rescued after the two strongest men left to find help. Sixteen people survived. Their story was turned into a book and Hollywood film.

Zambian national football team, 1993

It was the "day a nation cried", according to the BBC. Eighteen players and five coaches from Zambia's national football team died when a specially charted plane plunged into the sea 500 meters off the coast of Gabon on April 28 1993. The Zambian Air Force had been flying the team to Senegal for a World Cup qualifier when an engine failed. The pilot, reportedly suffering from fatigue, then accidentally turned off the one remaining working engine, causing the plane to lose all power and crash.

The tragedy left the national team devastated, but a remarkable sporting recovery followed. Zambia were back playing international football within six weeks. Less than a year after the crash, Kalusha Bwalya – the team's captain who avoided the ill-fated flight while playing for PSG – inspired his country to a dream run in the 1994 African Cup of Nations, taking a lead in the tournament's final before eventually being beaten by Nigeria 2-1.

'Il Grande Torino', 1949

Torino were the powerhouse of Italian football in the 1940's. After the Second World War, the team won three successive Serie A titles by increasingly large margins, displaying an invincibility that earned them the nickname 'Il Grande Torino'. That all changed on May 4 1949.

Returning from Lisbon after a friendly with Benfica, ready to wrap up another Italian league title, Torino's plane smashed into Superga, a 2,200ft-high peak on the edge of their home city. All 26 passengers and five crewman died. The most successful football team in Italy's history was gone. Torino were awarded the 1948/49 season title, despite four games remaining, but the team never recovered. It would be over two decades before they won the league again, in 1976 – to date their only Serie A title since the disaster.

Manchester United, 1958

The Munich air disaster remains one of the darkest days in British football history. On February 6, 1958, the young Manchester United team were sitting in a plane at Munich-Riem Airport after securing victory over Red Star Belgrade in the European Cup. Having twice failed to take off in snow, the pilot built up speed for a third attempt. Hurtling down the runaway, the plane's wheels hit a patch of slush on the ground, making take off impossible.

Unable to stop, the vehicle smashed through a fence at the end of the runway, hitting a house and breaking up on impact. Twenty-three people died, including many of United's 'Busby Babes', the set of talented youngsters who had inspired the team to consecutive league titles. Bobby Charlton, who later won the 1966 World Cup with England, was one of the survivors. "I looked round and saw injuries I will never describe," he said in 2006. "I think about this every day of my life." ·