Moscow: A passenger plane carrying nearly 50 people crashed in Russia's remote Far Eastern Amur region on Thursday, with initial reports indicating no survivors. The aircraft, an Antonov-24 twin-propeller plane operated by Angara Airlines, disappeared from radar around 1:00 PM local time while en route from Blagoveshchensk to Tynda.

A rescue helicopter later located the burning fuselage of the plane on a forested mountain slope, approximately 16 kilometres (10 miles) from Tynda. Videos released by Russian investigators depicted columns of smoke rising from the wreckage in a dense forest, making ground access challenging. Rescuers confirmed from the air that there were no signs of survivors.

The plane was carrying 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members, according to regional governor Vassily Orlov, though other reports cited slightly different figures. The Amur region's civil defence agency has dispatched a ground team, with additional aircraft on standby for search and rescue operations.

The Russian Far Eastern Transport Prosecutor's Office stated the crash occurred while the aircraft was attempting a second approach to Tynda airport, after which contact was lost. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation. State news agency TASS reported that the Antonov-24, a Soviet-designed plane that first entered service in 1959, was manufactured almost 50 years ago, though its airworthiness certificate was reportedly extended until 2036 in 2021. This incident highlights the continued reliance on ageing light aircraft in Russia's remote regions, where accidents remain frequent.