Russian Plane Crash:
MOSCOW – A Soviet-era Antonov passenger plane crashed in a remote, forested area in Russia’s Far East on Thursday, tragically killing all 48 people on board. Authorities have confirmed there were no survivors.
The Angara Airlines plane, an Antonov $AN-24$, was on its final leg to the town of Tinda in the Amur Region, near the Chinese border, when it disappeared from radar screens. The flight had originated from the city of Blagoveshchensk. The plane was carrying 42 passengers, including five children, and six crew members.
Rescue teams faced considerable challenges in reaching the Russian Plane Crash site, which is located in a densely forested mountainous area with no access by road. A helicopter crew first spotted the smoking wreckage on a hill about $15 km$ (10 miles) from Tinda. A massive rescue operation is underway, with more than 100 rescue workers using heavy machinery to clear a path to the scene.
Regional governor Vasily Orlov expressed his deepest condolences and confirmed the devastating outcome. “I regret to inform you that according to preliminary data, there are no survivors,” he said in a statement. Orlov has declared three days of mourning in the region and ordered flags to be flown at half-mast.
Russian investigators have opened a criminal case into the crash, with multiple deaths suspected of involving violations of air transport safety rules and negligence.
The aircraft involved was a Soviet-era working aircraft manufactured in 1976. Records show it was operated by Soviet flag carrier Aeroflot before the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The tragic incident raises further questions about the safety of older aircraft still in use on regional routes.
Amid an outpouring of grief in the region, attention is now focused on challenging rescue efforts and the ongoing criminal investigation to determine the exact cause of this devastating accident.
News Credit: Reuters