Russian passenger plane crashes in fireball while coming into land ‘killing all 49 on board’

In a remote area of Russia’s Far East, a passenger plane carrying 49 people crashed and caught fire.

Earlier today, Angara Airlines’ An-24 twin-engine turboprop vanished from radar as aircraft attempted to arrive at Tynda airfield in the Amur area.

Air traffic control lost communication with the pilots, and rescue crews were dispatched.

Prior to communication ceasing, the pilots reported no problems, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.

However, Tynda is surrounded by mountains and dense trees, and the weather was awful with poor visibility.

About 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Tynda, helicopters from Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations discovered pieces of the plane’s body on a mountain, confirming the disaster.

Emergency personnel posted videos of the plane’s burnt wreckage strewn among the woods on Telegram.

The fuselage of the aircraft was discovered to be on fire by a Federal Air Transport Agency Mi-8 helicopter during the search.

The Ministry said in a statement that rescuers are still attempting to get to the scene of the crash.

Five of the 49 passengers were youngsters, while six of the passengers were crew members.

According to RIA Novosti, first indications from rescue services indicate that all passengers may have perished, while it is yet unclear if anyone survived.

According to an emergency responders’ report, “no survivors have been seen from the air.”

Situated just 273 kilometers (169 miles) from the Chinese border and roughly 5,170 kilometers (3,213 miles) east of Moscow, Tynda is a fairly remote village.

Earlier today, the airplane had taken off from Khabarovsk, had a brief stop in Blagoveshchensk, and was on its way to Tynda.

According to emergency services, the aircraft underwent a technical inspection while on the ground at Blagoveshchensk’s Ignatyevo airfield and was determined to be in good shape.

Rescue crews and air ambulances were dispatched to assist any potential survivors, according to the Amur local government.

The rescue chopper has yet to make a landing at the scene of the collision.

“It’s really difficult to get to because it’s on a mountainside,” a spokesman told TASS.

“Every team and piece of equipment that is available is being used in the search,” stated Amur Governor Vasily Orlov in a statement.

Please don’t trust any unverified rumors.

He added that a hotline has been established for the passengers’ relatives by the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

The cause of the crash is being investigated by Russian authorities.

Originally intended for transportation, the An-24 is an ancient Soviet propeller plane from the late 1950s.

Despite Russia’s poor aviation safety record, it was eventually modified for passenger flights and is still in use in isolated regions of the nation.

According to Russia’s Lenta news outlet, the jet that crashed was constructed almost 50 years ago, but its airworthiness certificate had just been updated, meaning it was good until 2036.