Moscow, Jul 24 (PTI) – An aerial search has revealed "no sign" of survivors after a plane carrying 49 people crashed in Russia's Far East, as reported by local media.
The incident involved an Antonov An-24 turboprop aircraft, which collided with a forest-covered hill during its second attempt to land at Tynda airport in Eastern Siberia.
The aircraft was carrying 43 passengers along with six crew members onboard, confirmed by the Governor of the Amur Region near the Chinese border on his Telegram channel.
According to the state-run TASS news agency, no survivors were found during an aerial inspection, citing the regional civil defense and fire safety center. "The director of Tynda Airport noted that the plane ignited upon hitting the ground, and a Mi-8 helicopter crew flying over reported no evidence of survivors," it added.
The aircraft, a 50-year-old model from regional Angara Airlines, was in service on the Khabarovsk-Tynda-Blagoveschensk route, as per the governor's statements.
Experts discussing the crash on Radio BFM have suggested "human error" amid poor weather conditions as a likely cause, while some attributed it to an engine malfunction.
In response, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has launched a high-level investigation into the crash and has directed compensation be provided to the families of the victims.
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