Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Source: Reuters
Russian passenger plane crashes, nearly 50 feared dead
MOSCOW – A Russian Antonov An-24 passenger aircraft carrying approximately 50 people crashed in the country’s far east on Thursday, with emergency officials fearing there were no survivors, according to Reuters.
The Soviet-era plane, nearly five decades old, was found burning on the ground after being spotted by a helicopter. Rescue teams are racing to the site.
Footage filmed from a helicopter and shared on social media captured the aircraft deep within dense forest, with pale smoke rising from the wreckage.
Operated by Angara, a private regional airline based in Siberia, the plane bore a tail number indicating it was manufactured in 1976 and previously flew under Soviet flag carrier Aeroflot before the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
The flight departed from Blagoveshchensk and was bound for Tynda—a remote town and crucial railway junction in the Amur region near the Chinese border—when it disappeared from radar during its landing approach.
According to preliminary information from regional governor Vasily Orlov, there were 43 passengers aboard, including five children, along with a crew of six. The Russian federal government, however, reported 42 passengers.
Debris was discovered on a hillside about 15 kilometers (10 miles) from Tynda, as reported by the Interfax news agency, citing emergency authorities.
“During the search, a Rossaviatsiya Mi-8 helicopter located the aircraft’s burning fuselage,” the emergency services ministry stated on Telegram.
“Rescue teams are continuing their efforts to reach the crash site.”