Russian plane carrying nearly 50 crashes near Tynda after disappearing from radar

The wreckage of a passenger plane carrying nearly 50 people has been found burning in a remote part of Russia’s Far East, hours after it went missing from radar near its destination. The aircraft’s burning fuselage was located on a hillside approximately 15 kilometers south of its planned destination, the town of Tynda.

The plane, built in 1976 according to its tail number, was operated by the Siberia-based carrier Angara Airlines. It was flying from the city of Blagoveshchensk to Tynda when it disappeared from radar during its approach to the remote town, located in Russia’s Amur region near the Chinese border.

Images shared by Russian state media show debris scattered across dense forest with smoke rising from the crash site. According to a Russian media agency, an initial aerial inspection suggested there were no survivors. Emergency officials also cited challenging weather conditions in the area at the time of the incident, AP reported.

The regional transport prosecutor’s office stated that the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control while attempting a second approach to land.

The Antonov An-24 plane was flying from Blagoveshchensk, near the Russian-Chinese border, to Tynda. Regional Governor Vasily Orlov said 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members were on board.

However, the Emergency Situations Ministry reported a total of 48 people on the flight. The reason for the discrepancy has not yet been clarified. The plane was operated by Angara Airlines, based in Siberia, as per AP report.

Authorities have launched a criminal investigation into potential flight safety violations that resulted in multiple fatalities, which is standard procedure in aviation accidents in Russia.