Moscow: A Russian passenger plane with 50 people on board has crashed in the country’s far east, leaving no survivors, according to preliminary information, local news agencies reported.
The Ministry of Civil Defence, Emergencies and Disaster Relief said on Thursday that the An-24 plane, operated by Siberia-based airline Angara, dropped off radar screens while approaching its destination, Tynda, a town in the Amur region bordering China.
Russian rescuers found the fuselage of the plane in flames, the Emergencies Ministry said, and debris from the plane was located in Amur, Interfax news agency reported with all aboard feared dead.
“An Mi-8 helicopter operated by Rosaviatsiya [Russia’s civil aviation authority] has spotted the burning fuselage of the aircraft,” the ministry said on Telegram.
According to TASS news agency, an error by the plane’s crew while landing amid poor visibility is one of the possible reasons for the crash.
Regional Governor Vasily Orlov said that, according to preliminary data, there were 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members on board.
One Chinese national was aboard the plane, China’s state-run news agency Xinhua reported
The Emergencies Ministry put the number of people on board somewhat lower, at about 40.
Flying in Russia can be particularly dangerous in the vast country’s isolated hinterland, such as the Arctic and the far east, where weather conditions are frequently extreme.
While Russian aviation safety standards have improved in recent years, accidents, especially involving ageing planes in far-flung regions, are not uncommon.
