Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said that they had found
the burning fuselage of the Soviet-designed twin turbo prop
plane on a hillside south of its planned destination in the town
of Tynda.
Images of the reported crash site circulated by Russian state
media show debris scattered among dense forest, surrounded by
plumes of smoke.
Russia's Interfax news agency said there were adverse weather
conditions at the time of the crash, citing unnamed sources in
the emergency services. Several Russian news outlets also
reported that the aircraft was almost 50 years old, citing data
taken from the plane's tail number.
The transport prosecutor’s office in the Far East reported that
the site of the crash was 15 kilometers (9 miles) south of Tynda.
The office said in an online statement that the plane attempted
a second approach while trying to land when contact with it was
lost.
Forty-three passengers, including five children, as well as six
crew members were on board the An-24 passenger plane as it
traveled from the city of Blagoveshchensk on the Russian-Chinese
border to the town of Tynda, regional Gov. Vasily Orlov said.
The plane had initially departed from Khabarovsk before making
its way to Blagoveshchensk on the Russian-Chinese border and
onwards to Tynda.
Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry reported that 48 people
were on board the flight, which was operated by Siberia-based
Angara Airlines. The reason for the discrepancy was not
immediately clear.
The authorities have launched a probe on the charge of flight
safety violations that resulted in multiple deaths, a standard
procedure in aviation accidents.
Aviation incidents have been frequent in Russia, especially in
recent years as international sanctions have squeezed the
country’s aviation sector.
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