Q&A: Russia reels from new disaster

Scorched earth and debris from the TU-154 jet

MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- CNN’s Steve Harrigan gauges Russia’s reaction to this week’s plane crash in which more than 140 people died.

Q: How has Russia responded to its latest disaster?

A: It certainly has been a rough 12 months for Russia as far as disasters go, especially in Siberia where record floods this spring have left thousands of people homeless.

Last year there was the sinking of the Kursk submarine and the burning of Moscow's landmark television tower, all within the space of days.

AUDIO CNN's Steve Harrigan: Day of mourning announced 1.24 MB / 1 min 55 secs AIFF or WAV sound   VIDEO A Russian official says cause of crash that left 143 dead is still unknown. CNN's Steve Harrigan reports (July 4) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

There is no panic this time, no questioning of the general infrastructure, or fear of flying. They have not categorised the disaster into a general malaise afflicting the country.

Q: Has there been calls for tighter aviation safety rules?

A: No, there have been no calls in the newspapers. A lot of people would argue Russia’s planes are better now than they were in the mid-90s.

It is not clear what Putin is going to do. He has ordered an investigation to look into the accident, and if it finds there are problems with the industry’s safety standards, something might be done, but at this stage it is not clear what has happened.

MORE STORIES  Recent major Russian air crashes

The real disaster would be if it was found that the plane crashed because it had run out of fuel. That would be a serious problem.

Q: How has Putin responded to this latest tragedy, following criticism over his action during the Kursk disaster?

A: He came in for some strong criticism during the Kursk crisis for remaining on vacation. But with the plane crash, and the recent floods he had been very public and prominent.

He was almost immediately on the scene at the time of the floods and has expressed his condolences to the families involved in the plane crash. His public image has changed dramatically since last year’s events.

Q: Why was Russia’s aviation structure so bad in the early 1990s?

A: Following the collapse of the former Soviet Union the monolithic aviation company Aeroflot was broken up into hundreds of "baby-flots" which took control of domestic flights.

The companies were tiny, with just two or three planes each, with not enough money to carry out maintenance or buy repairs. They were in the business to make dollars and the supervisory clout was not there. Many of these companies have now gone bankrupt.

Q: The $400 compensation to victims’ families is a lot smaller than the millions reported in the Concorde disaster.

A: That could change. The president might do something to persuade the company to give more. The $400 is barely enough to cover a funeral.

But the accident happened in an area where hundreds of people lost their homes in the floods, some receiving a one-off payment of $25. It is fairly standard -- people do not make ridiculous claims, it is not part of their culture.

Also, the immediate reaction has been once of shock and condolence rather than thoughts of compensation.