Russian Aircraft Crashes in Amur Region, All 49 Feared Dead Including Five Children

A Russian passenger aircraft carrying 49 people, including six crew members, has crashed in the eastern Amur region, according to a report by Reuters citing local media. Preliminary reports from Russian news agency TASS suggest that there are no survivors.

The aircraft, operated by Angara Airlines-a Siberia-based carrier-lost contact with air traffic control while approaching Tynda, a town located near the Chinese border in Russia's Far East.

Regional governor Vasily Orlov confirmed that, as per initial information, the flight had 43 passengers, including five children, in addition to the six crew members. Russia's emergencies ministry announced that wreckage from the plane was located by an Mi-8 rescue helicopter operated by Rosaviatsiya, the country's civil aviation authority. The helicopter reportedly spotted the burning remains of the fuselage.

Crash Site Located on Mountainside

As reported by AFP, the debris was found on a mountainside roughly 16 kilometres from Tynda. Rescue teams observing from the helicopter saw no signs of survivors at the crash site, local officials confirmed.

Emergency response teams have been mobilised to the location. "So far, 25 personnel and five pieces of equipment have been deployed. Additionally, four aircraft and their crews are on standby," stated the region's civil defence agency, according to AFP.

Cause Linked to Human Error and Poor Visibility

TASS reported that the crash was likely the result of crew error during the aircraft's descent in low-visibility conditions. The ill-fated aircraft was an Antonov An-24, a twin-turboprop developed in the 1950s and commonly used across Russia for both passenger and cargo transport. Over 1,000 units of the An-24 have been produced.