Russian Plane With 49 On Board Crashes; Rescuers Find Debris on Fire, No survivors

A Russian plane with 49 people onboard went missing in Amur region on Thursday after air traffic control operators lost communication, Reuters reported.

The aircraft, operated by Angara airline, was reportedly approaching its destination of Tynda, located in the Amur region adjacent to China, when communication ceased. 

SHOT reported that the plane was believed to be within a few kilometres of Tynda when contact was lost.

Amur Region Governor Vasily Orlov confirmed that 43 passengers and four crew members were aboard the missing flight. Emergency services said the aircraft went off radar just a few kilometres away from Tynda.

Rescuers Find Debris On Fire

Russian rescuers found the fuselage of an Antonov-24 passenger plane that disappeared from radar earlier in Russia's far east, the emergencies ministry said Thursday, reported AFP.

"An Mi-8 helicopter operated by Rosaviatsiya (Russia's civil aviation authority) has spotted the burning fuselage of the aircraft," Russia's emergencies ministry said on Telegram.

The Antonov An-24, developed in the 1950s, is widely used in Russia for both cargo and passenger transport. More than 1,000 units of the aircraft were produced.

(With inputs from agencies)