A Russian plane carrying 49 people has crashed with no survivors, according to reports.
The aircraft – which had 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew on board – was flying from the city of Blagoveshchensk on the Russian-Chinese border to the remote town of Tynda, regional governor Vasily Orlov said.
“All necessary forces and means have been deployed to search for the plane,” Mr Orlov said on Telegram.
There were no survivors, news agency TASS reported, adding an error during landing in poor visibility as a reason for the crash in the eastern part of the Amur region.
Burning fuselage of the plane, which was from the Soviet era and was nearly 50 years old, was found by a rescue helicopter, emergency officials said, adding that rescue crews were rushing to the scene.
The Antonov An-24 passenger jet, operated by a Siberia-based airline called Angara, disappeared from radar over the area, local officials said earlier.
It was believed to be a few kilometres away from its destination when it lost contact, the SHOT news agency reported.
Venezuelan scarred after being sent to maximum security prison by Trump administration
Gaza faces ‘man-made’ mass starvation due to Israeli aid blockade, World Health Organization says
Nine civilians killed as Thailand and Cambodia exchange fire in escalating border dispute
The local emergencies ministry put the number of people on board somewhat lower, at around 40.
Debris from the plane was found on a hill around 15 km (10 miles) from Tynda, the Interfax news agency said, quoting emergency officials.
Yuliya Petina, an emergency services official, wrote on Telegram: “During the search operation, a Mi-8 helicopter belonging to Rossaviatsiya discovered the fuselage of the aircraft, which was on fire.
“Rescuers continue to make their way to the scene of the accident”.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
