A passenger aircraft carrying 49 people has crashed in the Amur region of Russia’s Far East, raising fears of mass casualties, officials confirmed on Thursday.
The Antonov 24 plane, operated by Angara Airlines, was on a scheduled flight from Blagoveshchensk to the town of Tynda when it suddenly went off radar, according to a message from regional governor Vassily Orlov posted on Telegram.
Emergency teams later discovered the wreckage of the plane engulfed in flames on a mountainside approximately 16 kilometers from Tynda. Rescue workers surveying the crash site from a helicopter reported no visible signs of life.
The Amur regional emergency agency said it had dispatched personnel and equipment to the location. “So far, 25 responders along with five support vehicles are at the scene. Four additional aircraft are standing by to assist if needed,” the agency said.
While officials have not confirmed the number of deaths, hopes of locating survivors appear to be fading.
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