Russian Plane Crash Leaves Nearly 50 Feared Dead

An Antonov An-24 passenger plane carrying approximately 50 people crashed in Russia’s far eastern Amur region on Thursday, with initial reports indicating no survivors, according to Russian emergency services officials. The aircraft, operated by Siberia-based Angara Airlines, was en route from Blagoveshchensk to Tynda when it disappeared from radar screens while approaching Tynda, a remote town near the Chinese border.

The burning fuselage of the Soviet-era plane, built in 1976, was spotted by a Mi-8 helicopter operated by Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rossaviatsiya, on a hill approximately 15 kilometers from Tynda, the Interfax news agency reported. Unverified video footage circulating on social media showed the wreckage in a densely forested area. Rescue crews are working to reach the crash site.

Preliminary data from Amur region Governor Vasily Orlov indicates the plane carried 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members. However, the Russian emergencies ministry reported a slightly lower figure of around 40 people on board. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.