A Soviet-era Antonov An-24 aircraft carrying approximately 50 people crashed on Thursday in Russia’s remote Far East, with initial reports suggesting no survivors, according to Russian emergency services officials.
The aircraft, operated by the Siberia-based airline Angara, was en route from Blagoveshchensk to the remote town of Tynda in the Amur region, which borders China.
The plane lost contact with air traffic control as it approached its destination and dropped off radar screens, triggering a large-scale search and rescue operation.
Burning wreckage located by helicopter
The burning fuselage was spotted by a Mi-8 search helicopter operated by Rossaviatsiya, Russia’s aviation authority.
Emergency responders were en route to the crash site, which was located on a hill approximately 15 kilometres from Tynda, according to officials cited by Interfax news agency.
“During the search operation, a Mi-8 helicopter belonging to Rossaviatsiya discovered the fuselage of the aircraft, which was on fire,” emergency services official Yuliya Petina said on Telegram.
“Rescuers continue to make their way to the scene of the accident.”
Unverified footage posted on social media appeared to show the plane’s remains in a densely forested area.
The video, reportedly filmed from the air, has not yet been authenticated by authorities.
There were discrepancies in the reported number of people on board.
Vasily Orlov, governor of the Amur region, said preliminary data indicated that 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members were on the flight.
However, the Russian emergencies ministry put the figure lower, estimating around 40 people on board.
The aircraft involved in the crash was nearly 50 years old, with its tail number indicating it was built in 1976.
The Antonov An-24, a twin turboprop plane, was widely used in Soviet times and continues to serve on regional routes in parts of Russia and the former Soviet republics.
Authorities have launched a formal investigation into the crash. The causes remain unknown at this stage, and emergency teams are expected to provide more information once they reach the site.
The crash is one of the deadliest involving an An-24 in recent years and raises fresh questions about the continued use of aging aircraft in Russia’s vast and often difficult-to-access regions.
This is a developing story.
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