More Than $300M in Gold Falls From Sky After Hatch Blows Open on Russian Cargo Plane

More than three tons of gold bars fell from the sky in Russia Thursday after the hatch of a cargo plane flew open, officials said.

The vessel was loaded with gold, platinum and diamonds and was taking off from the east Siberian city of Yakutsk when a door malfunctioned, causing more than $368 million of precious metal to plummet to the ground below, according to the Tass news agency.

The Antonov An-12 aircraft operated by Nimbus Airlines was taking off for Krasnoyarsk carrying 9.3 tons of gems and precious metals when a damaged door burst open, according to a government statement.

Authorities later recovered 172 gold bars weighing 3.4 tons, according to an Interior Ministry official.

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