MOSCOW: A passenger aircraft carrying close to 50 people crashed on Thursday in a remote area of Russia’s Amur region, with no immediate signs of survivors, according to authorities.
The aircraft, a twin-engine Antonov-24 operated by Angara Airlines, was en route from Blagoveshchensk to the town of Tynda when it vanished from radar around 1 p.m. local time (0400 GMT).
A rescue helicopter later spotted the burning remains of the aircraft on a forested mountainside approximately 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Tynda. Footage released by Russian investigators showed plumes of smoke rising from the wreckage in a densely wooded area.
Rescue teams in the helicopter reported no signs of life at the crash site. The Amur region’s civil defence agency said a ground crew was being deployed to the area.
“At present, 25 personnel with five units of equipment have been sent to the site, and four aircraft are on standby,” the agency reported.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by the forested terrain, a local official told TASS, the Russian state news agency, adding that the main operations were being conducted by air.
Angara Airlines, a regional carrier based in Irkutsk, has not issued any public statement regarding the incident.
Second Landing Attempt Ends in Disaster
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According to Amur region governor Vassily Orlov, the plane was carrying 43 passengers and six crew, including five children. However, conflicting reports from emergency services cited by TASS said 40 passengers and six crew were onboard.
The Far Eastern Transport Prosecutor’s Office stated that the crash occurred during a second landing attempt at Tynda Airport.
“While approaching Tynda Airport, the aircraft initiated a go-around for a second landing, after which all contact was lost,” the office said, adding that an investigation into the cause is ongoing.
There has been no official word yet on what may have caused the crash.
TASS reported that the aircraft involved was manufactured nearly 50 years ago, and its airworthiness certificate had been extended until 2036, according to aviation industry sources. This detail could not be independently confirmed by AFP.
The Antonov-24, a Soviet-designed turboprop, entered service in 1959 and remains in use across many of Russia’s remote regions. Although the country has been gradually shifting to modern jets, older aircraft like the An-24 continue to operate in isolated areas, where aviation accidents remain a frequent concern.