Russian plane nearly 50 people goes missing in eastern Amur region, ‘no survivors’

Russian rescuers locate fuselage of Antonov-24 passenger plane that vanished in the Amur region with 50 people on board.

Russian rescuers have located the fuselage of an Antonov-24 passenger plane carrying 50 people, which had disappeared from radar in the country’s far east, the emergencies ministry said on Thursday. Citing preliminary data, Russian news agency TASS reported that all on board are feared dead in the crash in the eastern Amur region.

Russian air traffic control has said that it has lost contact with an An-24 passenger plane with about 50 people on board . (Image for representation/Reuters)

The country's local emergencies ministry said the plane, operated by a Siberia-based airline called Angara, dropped off radar screens while approaching its destination of Tynda, a town in the Amur region bordering China.

Regional governor Vasily Orlov said that, according to preliminary data, 43 passengers, including five children and six crew members, were on board.

"All necessary forces and means have been deployed to search for the plane," Vasily Orlov wrote on his Telegram channel, according to Reuters.

The aircraft was believed to be only a few kilometres away from its destination when it lost contact.

"An An-24 operated by Angara Airlines failed to make contact at a designated checkpoint a few kilometres from Tynda Airport," a source was quoted as saying by TASS.