A Russian passenger plane carrying approximately 50 people has crashed in the country's far east, with initial reports indicating no survivors, according to emergency services officials. The aircraft, an An-24 operated by the Siberia-based airline Angara, went missing on Thursday while approaching Tynda in the Amur region.
The plane vanished from radar and stopped responding to calls just a few kilometres from Tynda airport during a second landing attempt, after an initial approach was unsuccessful. The wreckage was later found on a slope about 15 kilometres from Tynda, with the fuselage on fire, as confirmed by a helicopter from the Russian aviation authority.
The An-24, built in 1976, was operating the Khabarovsk–Blagoveshchensk–Tynda route. It took off from Khabarovsk at 7.36am local time but failed to pass security checks near its final destination. Crew error during landing in poor visibility is being considered a possible cause, according to the Tass news agency.
Regional governor Vasily Orlov stated on Telegram that the plane was carrying 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members. All necessary search and rescue forces have been deployed, though the remote and densely forested terrain is hampering access to the crash site.
