In a tragic turn of events, the wreckage of an Angara Airlines An-24 plane that went missing over Russia’s far-eastern Amur region has been located. The plane, carrying 43 passengers and six crew members, had vanished from radar while approaching Tynda airport, roughly 16 kilometers (10 miles) from its destination. It had taken off from Blagoveshchensk, near the Chinese border, before disappearing into the dense woods of the Amur region.

Amur’s regional governor, Vasily Orlov, confirmed that “all necessary resources” had been mobilized to locate the plane after it went off radar. He noted that five children were among those on board. Russian authorities quickly dispatched a civil aviation helicopter to assist in the search. Moments later, the ministry reported that the wreckage had been spotted, with the fuselage of the plane burning in the remote hillside terrain.

According to emergency officials, no survivors have been found at the scene. The wreckage was discovered on a steep hill about 16 kilometers from Tynda. Dramatic footage from the scene shows the fiery remnants of the plane surrounded by dense forest, marking a sombre end to a prolonged search effort.

Preliminary investigations are considering both pilot error and a potential technical malfunction as causes for the crash. The Angara Airlines An-24, which was on its final leg of a flight from Khabarovsk in Russia’s far southeast, is reported to be about 50 years old. The plane has faced issues in the past. In July 2019, an An-24RV veered off the runway at Nizhneangarsk Airport, resulting in the deaths of two crew members. Additionally, another Angara An-24 crashed into the Ob River in Siberia in 2011, claiming the lives of seven passengers.

This tragic event underscores the ongoing safety concerns surrounding older aircraft models. As authorities continue their investigation into the cause of the crash, the loss of 49 lives, including five children, is felt deeply across Russia and the world.