By Atoyebi Nike
A tragic plane crash in Russia’s Far East claimed the lives of all 49 people aboard, officials confirmed Thursday. The Antonov-24 aircraft, operated by Angara Airlines, was en route from Blagoveshchensk to Tynda when it vanished from radar.
According to Amur regional governor Vassily Orlov, the aircraft carried 43 passengers including five children and six crew members. A rescue helicopter later located the plane’s burning fuselage on a mountainside roughly 10 miles from Tynda.
“There were no signs of survivors from above,” local rescuers reported.
The Amur region’s civil defense agency has deployed 25 responders and five vehicles, with four additional aircraft on standby. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.