Forty-eight killed as plane crashes in Russia’s east
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Forty-eight people have died in a plane crash in Russia’s far east, the head of the country’s Amur region confirmed.
The An-24 passenger plane disappeared from radar as it travelled from the city of Blagoveshchensk on the Russian-Chinese border to the town of Tynda.
Rescuers later found the aircraft’s burning wreckage amid dense forests on a hillside south of its planned destination.
Regional Governor Vasily Orlov said all passengers, including five children, and crew on board the aircraft were killed in the crash.
Orlov also announced three days of mourning.
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 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 nine miles south of Tynda.
The office said the plane attempted a second approach while trying to land when contact with it was lost.
The plane had initially departed from Khabarovsk before making its way to Blagoveshchensk and onwards to Tynda.
Authorities have launched an investigation on suspicion of flight safety violations that resulted in multiple deaths, a standard procedure in aviation accidents.
Such incidents have been frequent in Russia, especially in recent years as international sanctions have squeezed the country’s aviation sector.
with PA
Reuters
