MOSCOW (BN24) — Forty-eight people lost their lives Thursday in a tragic plane crash in Russia’s Far Eastern Amur region, officials announced, as rescue teams discovered the burning wreckage deep in a remote forested hillside.
The Soviet-era Antonov An-24 passenger aircraft vanished from radar while en route from Blagoveshchensk, a city on the Russian-Chinese border, to Tynda, a town located further inland. Authorities said the crash site was found approximately 15 kilometers south of Tynda amid dense woodland, where the aircraft was almost completely destroyed by fire.
Regional Governor Vasily Orlov confirmed that all passengers and crew aboard the flight perished. He declared three days of official mourning to honor the victims. “Tragically, there are no survivors,” Orlov said in a video address, adding that rescuers were still struggling to reach the isolated crash location due to challenging terrain and weather conditions.
The Antonov An-24, a twin-turboprop plane first introduced nearly five decades ago, was operated by Siberia-based Angara Airlines. Reports indicated 48 individuals were aboard, including 43 passengers—five of whom were children—and six crew members. Some discrepancies in passenger numbers were noted, with Russian emergency officials initially citing 49 people onboard.
The flight originated from Khabarovsk before stopping in Blagoveshchensk, from where it departed toward Tynda. According to the Far Eastern transport prosecutor’s office, the plane lost contact during a second landing attempt at Tynda, under adverse weather conditions, as revealed by unnamed emergency service sources.
Russian state media circulated images of the crash site, showing scattered debris and thick smoke rising from the forest. The Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) confirmed their ongoing investigation into the causes of the crash, with flight safety violations being considered as a possible factor.
Aviation accidents have been a persistent issue in Russia, particularly amid increased operational challenges brought on by international sanctions that have strained the country’s aviation sector, affecting maintenance and procurement of new aircraft.
This tragedy marks one of the deadliest aviation disasters in the region in recent years, prompting national mourning and a thorough probe into the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash.
Credit: punching.com
