An Antonov An-24 passenger aircraft, carrying approximately 50 individuals, crashed in Russia’s far east on Thursday. Initial reports from Russian emergency services officials suggest that all occupants perished in the incident. A helicopter located the burning fuselage of the nearly 50-year-old Soviet-era plane on the ground, with rescue teams rushing to the scene.
Unverified video footage, recorded from a helicopter and shared on social media, appeared to show the plane having gone down in a densely forested area. The aircraft, identifiable by its tail number as being built in 1976, was operated by Angara, an airline based in Siberia. It was en route from Blagoveshchensk to Tynda when it vanished from radar screens during its approach to Tynda, a remote town in the Amur region that borders China.
According to preliminary data from regional governor Vasily Orlov, there were 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members onboard. The emergencies ministry, however, provided a slightly lower estimate of around 40 people. Debris from the plane was discovered on a hill roughly 15 km (10 miles) from Tynda, Interfax news agency quoted emergency service officials as saying.
“During the search operation, a Mi-8 helicopter belonging to Rossaviatsiya discovered the fuselage of the aircraft, which was on fire,” Yuliya Petina, an emergency services official, posted on Telegram. “Rescuers continue to make their way to the scene of the accident.” Authorities have initiated an investigation into the crash.
