Russian plane missing with nearly 50 people on board; all feared dead
The burning fuselage of the plane, which was from the Soviet era and was nearly 50 years old, was spotted on the ground by a helicopter and rescue crews were rushing to the scene.
Unverified video, shot from a helicopter and posted on social media, appeared to show that the plane had come down in a densely forested area.
The plane, whose tail number showed it was built in 1976, was operated by a Siberia-based airline called Angara.
It was en route from the city of Blagoveshchensk to Tynda and dropped off radar screens while approaching Tynda, a remote town in the Amur region bordering China.
There were 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members on board according to preliminary data, Vasily Orlov, the regional governor said.
The emergencies ministry put the number of people on board somewhat lower, at around 40.
Debris from the plane was found on a hill around 15 km (10 miles) from Tynda, the 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, wrote on Telegram.
"Rescuers continue to make their way to the scene of the accident".
Authorities announced an investigation into the crash.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Khaleej Times
Russian plane crash: Investigators recover flight data recorders
Investigators have recovered flight data recorders from the wreckage of a plane that crashed in Russia's far east, killing 48 people, and will send them for analysis, Russian authorities said Friday. The aircraft, an Antonov-24 operated by Angara Airlines, was making a second attempt to land in the remote Siberian town of Tynda when it disappeared from radar around 1pm local time (0400 GMT) on Thursday. A rescue helicopter later spotted the burning fuselage of the plane on a forested mountain slope about 15 kilometres (nine miles) south of Tynda's airport. Prosecutors have not commented on what may have caused the crash, but a rescuer quoted by the TASS news agency said the twin-propeller plane -- almost 50 years old — was attempting to land in thick cloud. Investigators are looking into whether the crash was caused by technical malfunction or human error, the agency reported. "The flight recorders have been found at the crash site and will be delivered to Moscow for decryption in the near future," Russia's transport ministry said in a statement. Russian authorities have also launched an investigation into the plane's operator, Angara Airlines, and whether it complied with regulations, it added. "Based on the findings, a decision will be made on the company's future operations," the ministry said. Angara Airlines, a small regional carrier based in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, said it was doing "everything possible to investigate the circumstances of the accident". The company's CEO, Sergei Salamanov, told Russia's REN TV channel on Thursday that it was the plane's captain — an experienced pilot with 11,000 hours of flight time — who decided to make the flight. "The weather forecast was unfavourable," he said. The plane came down in a hard-to-reach area and it took a ground rescue team hours to reach the site. Russia's transport ministry said the families of the 48 killed — six of whom were crew — would receive five million rubles' ($63,000) compensation each. The number killed could have risen to 49 if Marina Avalyan, who was already sitting on the plane, had not been asked by her daughter to urgently get off and return home, according to a story reported by Argumenty i Fakty newspaper. The daughter wanted Avalyan to look after her newborn baby, as she was taking her second child to a hospital, the daily said. "I have no words to describe it: is this a miracle? Thank God she returned! My child has saved my mother," Zimina told Argumenty i Fakty.
UAE Moments
3 days ago
- UAE Moments
Russian Plane with 50 People Onboard Vanishes Near China Border
A Russian passenger plane carrying around 50 people suddenly disappeared from radar while flying to the town of Tynda, near the China border. The plane, an An-24 operated by Angara Airlines, was on its way through Russia's far east when air traffic control lost contact. Who Was Onboard? According to Amur region governor Vasily Orlov, early reports say there were 43 passengers—including five kids—and six crew members. That's a full flight. However, the emergencies ministry later mentioned a slightly lower number, saying around 40 people might've been onboard. Search Mission in Motion Authorities aren't wasting time. Search teams have been deployed and efforts are ongoing to locate the missing plane. No word yet on what caused the disappearance or where it may have gone down.
Emirates 24/7
3 days ago
- Emirates 24/7
Plane crashes in Russia's far east, nearly 50 people on board feared dead
An Antonov An-24 passenger plane carrying about 50 people crashed in Russia's far east on Thursday, and initial information suggested that everyone on board was killed, Russian emergency services officials said. The plane was en route from the city of Blagoveshchensk to Tynda and dropped off radar screens while approaching Tynda, a remote town in the Amur region bordering China. There were 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members on board according to preliminary data, Vasily Orlov, regional governor, said. Debris from the plane was found on a hill around 15 km (10 miles) from Tynda. Authorities announced an investigation into the crash. Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
