A Russian passenger plane carrying 49 people—including six crew members—crashed in the eastern Amur region on Thursday, according to Reuters, citing local media.
All those on board are feared dead, Russian news agency TASS reported, referencing initial findings.
The aircraft, operated by the Siberian airline Angara, disappeared from radar while approaching its destination of Tynda, a town near the Chinese border in the Amur region. Regional governor Vasily Orlov stated that preliminary information confirmed the presence of 43 passengers, including five children, along with six crew members.
Russia’s emergencies ministry confirmed that the wreckage of the plane had been located by a rescue helicopter. “An Mi-8 helicopter operated by Rosaviatsiya (Russia’s civil aviation authority) spotted the burning fuselage of the aircraft,” the ministry announced on Telegram, as reported by Reuters.
According to AFP, the fuselage was found on a mountainside roughly 16 kilometers from Tynda. Rescuers said there were no visible signs of survivors from the air.
The region’s civil defense agency confirmed that response teams were en route to the crash site. “Currently, 25 personnel and five units of equipment have been dispatched, with four aircraft crews on standby,” the agency noted, as reported by AFP.
A rescue official told TASS that the mountainous forest terrain was hampering ground efforts. “Most search operations are being conducted from the air,” they added.
Possible Cause of the Crash
TASS reported that early findings suggest the crash was due to pilot error during landing in poor visibility conditions.
The aircraft involved, an Antonov An-24, is a Soviet-era twin turboprop developed in the 1950s. Over 1,000 of these planes were produced, and they continue to be used in Russia for both cargo and passenger transport.
