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An Antonov An-24 passenger aircraft with around 50 people on board has crashed in Russia’s far eastern region, with initial reports from emergency services suggesting no survivors.
The Soviet-era aircraft, nearly five decades old, was spotted ablaze on the ground by a helicopter, prompting an urgent response from rescue teams racing to the remote crash site.
Footage posted on social media, reportedly captured from a helicopter, showed the wreckage in what appeared to be a heavily forested area.
The plane, bearing a tail number indicating it was manufactured in 1976, belonged to Angara Airlines, a regional carrier based in Siberia.
It had departed from Blagoveshchensk and was heading to Tynda when it disappeared from radar while nearing its destination in the isolated Amur region, which borders China.
Regional governor Vasily Orlov said preliminary data showed 43 passengers were on board, including five children, along with six crew members.
However, the emergencies ministry later reported a slightly lower total, estimating the number of people on board at around 40.
According to emergency officials quoted by Interfax, the aircraft’s wreckage was located on a hillside about 15 kilometres (10 miles) from Tynda.
“During the search operation, a Mi-8 helicopter belonging to Rossaviatsiya discovered the fuselage of the aircraft, which was on fire,” wrote emergency services official Yuliya Petina on Telegram.
“Rescuers continue to make their way to the scene of the accident,” she added.
Authorities have since opened an investigation into the crash.
