No survivors after passenger plane erupts in flames and crashes
The Angara Airlines An-24 plane lost contact with air traffic control while flying over Russia's eastern Amur region on Thursday, according to the TASS news agency.
It was flying from Blagoveshchensk to Tynda, a remote town near the Chinese border, when it caught fire during landing.
Burning debris was later discovered on a hillside about 15km from Tynda.
Reuters reported the plane's fuselage was nearly 50 years old and dated back to the Soviet era.
Preliminary information suggested there were 43 passengers — including five children — and six crew members on board, Regional Governor Vasily Orlov said.
'All necessary forces and means have been deployed to search for the plane,' he wrote on Telegram.
Siberia-based Angara Airlines operates domestic and regional flights across Russia.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
13 hours ago
- Perth Now
Jeju Air jet 'still had working engine' when it crashed
A Jeju Air plane that crashed during an emergency landing after a bird strike could have kept flying on the damaged engine that was still working after pilots shut down the other one, an update from South Korean investigators says. The Boeing 737-800 instead belly-landed at Muan airport in December without its landing gear down, overshot the runway and erupted into a fireball after slamming into an embankment, killing all but two of the 181 people on board. Investigators have not yet produced a final report into the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil, but information about the plane's two engines has begun to emerge. According to a July 19 update prepared by investigators and seen by Reuters but not publicly released following complaints from victims' family members, the left engine sustained less damage than the right following a bird strike, but the left engine was shut down 19 seconds afterwards. The right engine experienced a "surge" and emitted flames and black smoke, but investigators said it "was confirmed to be generating output sufficient for flight" in the five-page update, which included post-crash photos of both engines. No reason for the crew's actions was given and the probe is expected to last months as investigators reconstruct the plane's technical state and the picture understood by its pilots. Experts say most air accidents are caused by multiple factors and caution against putting too much weight on incomplete evidence. A source told Reuters on Monday the South Korea-led probe had "clear evidence" that pilots had shut off the less-damaged left engine after the bird strike, citing the cockpit voice recorder, computer data and a switch found in the wreckage. But the latest update on the crash raises the possibility the more heavily damaged engine, which was still running, could have kept the plane aloft for longer. It did not say what level of performance the operating engine still had, nor what extra options that might have given the plane's emergency-focused crew before the jet doubled back and landed in the opposite direction of the runway from its initial plan, with its landing gear up. Both engines contained bird strike damage and both experienced engine vibrations after the strike. The right engine showed significant internal damage, the Korean-language update from South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board said, but it did not describe the damage found in the left engine. The update did not say how the left engine was operating, nor the state of systems connected to either engine, former US National Transportation Safety Board investigator Greg Feith said when shown the document translated by Reuters. It contained some new facts but omitted more, resulting in a "cryptic" document, he said. The South Korean board, which plans to issue a final report in June, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Safety experts say it is common for early reports to contain sparse facts and limited analysis while investigations continue. A preliminary report released in January said feathers and blood stains from ducks were found in both engines. The engines - made by CFM International, jointly owned by GE and France's Safran - were examined in May and no defects or fault data were found beyond the bird and crash damage, the report said. Families of those who died in the disaster were briefed on the engine findings but asked investigators not to release the July 19 report, saying it appeared to apportion blame to the pilots without exploring other factors. The report was withheld but Reuters and South Korean media obtained copies. Boeing and GE referred questions about the crash to the South Korean board. Safran did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Under global aviation rules, civil air investigations aim to discover crash causes without assigning blame or liability.
ABC News
20 hours ago
- ABC News
Israel resumes aid drops to Gaza amid hunger crisis
An Israeli soldier stands next to the parcels of humanitarian aid awaiting to be transferred into Gaza from Israel, at the Gaza part of the Kerem Shalom crossing in the Gaza Strip, July 24, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen EDITOR'S NOTE: REUTERS PHOTOGRAPHS WERE REVIEWED BY THE IDF AS PART OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE EMBED. NO PHOTOS WERE REMOVED.
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
Cairns women's shed opens as sector ponders its future
Men's sheds outnumber McDonald's restaurants in Australia. While the fast food giant has about1,000 stores, more than 1,200 men's sheds have sprung up across the country since the first one opened its doors in Goolwa, South Australia, in the 1990s. For three decades, they've offered blokes a place to do craftwork "shoulder to shoulder", as the organisation's motto goes, and shone a much-needed spotlight on men's mental health issues. They now serve more than 50,000 members or "shedders", but with an ageing cohort and more groups in society calling for their own sheds, there are questions around how the movement will evolve. Ever since Wendy Bryant's father helped set up the Cairns Men's Shed in the 2000s, she thought the city's women should have something similar too. Almost 20 years on, Ms Bryant on Friday cut the ribbon at Far North Queensland's first women's shed — She Shed Cairns — which her family's construction company and dozens of local businesses and volunteers helped build. The 68-year-old was a keen potter before a degenerative brain disease curtailed her hobby. She is now looking forward to enjoying other crafty pursuits and companionship at the shed with the help of her carer. Ms Bryant's story resonated with She Shed Cairns founder Jane Mitchell, who knew two young mums who suffered debilitating strokes in their 30s and 40s and saw how crafting helped them find some joy and purpose again. "But a nice space to come and connect with other women was really missing," Ms Mitchell said. The new Cairns shed joins more than 60 women's sheds throughout Australia. The founder of a Perth-based women's shed, Michelle Slater, began the process of forming the Australian Women's Shed Association (AWSA) 18 months ago to give female shedders a national voice. "We have a constitution drafted, I have a board waiting to go, we're literally just after that initial seed funding to launch," she said. Ms Slater said securing a space and funding were significant challenges for individual women's sheds. While they can access some state-based funding, they are not eligible for $1 million in annual grants under the federal government's National Shed Development Program. The federal health department said the program was specifically tied to its National Men's Health Strategy to address higher rates of loneliness and isolation experienced by older men. But AWSA said women's sheds deserved their own dedicated funding. Gender exclusivity has long been the basis upon which men's sheds were founded and a major reason for their success and proliferation. But gender integration is occurring to varying degrees in some locations, from men's sheds that have "ladies" or mixed days to community sheds that are gender-inclusive, such as the one in Coburg, Victoria. The Australian Men's Shed Association (AMSA) has also been supporting emerging women's sheds with advice and sharing insurance and manuals. AMSA executive officer David Helmers said there were many benefits to diversifying the shed movement, such as sharing costs and resources and attracting new members. "I think where there is a bit of pushback is at an individual level," he said. Mr Helmers said retaining gender-exclusive spaces was still important for many communities. "We acknowledge we don't want men's sheds to all become co-ed," he said. "We created a space with tools and equipment so men felt comfortable talking to each other. "When it becomes a shared space, those conversations could stop." Ms Slater said gender-exclusive spaces were also "really powerful" for many women, such as those escaping domestic violence. "It was really helpful for them to have a space where they felt safe and where they could come and learn skills that were traditionally exclusive to men," she said. But Ms Slater said a one-size-fits-all approach would not work and each community needed to work out the best way to accommodate its aspiring shedders. Mr Helmers said it made sense that the men's shed movement would evolve. AMSA was making changes to broaden its work, including trials to attract younger men, which required sheds to open in the evenings to accommodate those who work during the day. "How men's sheds will change into the future and how women's sheds will evolve remains to be seen," he said. Ms Slater said women's sheds had diverse offerings tailored to their communities, such as one in the Northern Territory that focused on bush medicine. At She Shed Cairns, aside from the traditional arts and crafts, lessons in financial literacy and home maintenance have also been included after Ms Mitchell was bombarded with requests. "I now know women over the age of 50 are at the biggest risk of homelessness," Ms Mitchell said. "I've found an ex-financial planner who's willing to give her time, and we have a lovely lady who's come on board to teach woodwork, so hopefully we can empower women to be more confident with power tools and maintain their own home."
