A Russian passenger aircraft with 49 people on board, which went missing earlier today, reportedly crashed in the country’s far eastern region near China, with no survivors expected.
Rescuers found parts of the burning fuselage to a hillside, south of its planned destination in the town of Tynda, located in eastern Russsia.
Images of the reported crash site circulated by the Russian state media show debris scattered in the dense forest, surrounded by plumes of smoke.
"An initial aerial inspection of the site suggested that there were no survivors" Russia's Interfax news agency reported, citing unnamed sources in the emergency services. Its sources also said that "there were difficult weather conditions in the area".
The transport prosecutor’s office in the Far East reported that the site of the crash was 15 kilometers (9 miles) south of Tynda. The office said in an online statement that the plane attempted a second approach after an initial approach to Tynda airport was unsuccessful and while trying to land the second time contact with the plane was lost.
Regional governor Vasily Orlov said according to preliminary data, there were 43 passengers on board, including five children, along with six crew members the plane was operated by Siberia based Angara airlines. "All necessary forces and resources have been deployed to search for the plane," Orlov wrote on Telegram, Reuters quoted.
Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry reported that 48 people were on board the flight. The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear.
The authorities have launched a probe on the charge of flight safety violations that resulted in multiple deaths, a standard procedure in aviation accidents.
