MOSCOW: All 48 people aboard a passenger aircraft that crashed in Russia’s Far Eastern Amur region have died, officials said on Thursday.
According to regional governor Vasily Orlov, the An-24 twin turboprop aircraft disappeared from radar as it flew from the city of Blagoveshchensk to the town of Tynda.
The plane’s burning wreckage was later located on a forested hillside around 15 kilometres south of its intended destination.
Governor Orlov, in a video message, described the incident as a “terrible tragedy” and announced three days of mourning in the region. He confirmed that all passengers and crew had perished in the crash.
The aircraft, operated by Siberia-based Angara Airlines, was carrying 48 people, including six crew members and five children.
Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry stated that aerial search teams discovered the fuselage engulfed in flames, with debris scattered across dense forest terrain.
The ministry added that adverse weather conditions and the remoteness of the crash site had hampered immediate rescue efforts.
Citing unnamed sources in the emergency services, Interfax news agency reported that the aircraft had encountered poor weather conditions and was attempting a second landing approach at the time communication was lost.
✈️🚨 Passenger plane crashes in Russia’s Amur region — over 40 people on board
A Soviet-made Antonov An-24 aircraft operated by Angara Airlines disappeared from radar near the town of Tynda while attempting a second landing approach. Emergency crews later found the burning… pic.twitter.com/MOO08NTbEP
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) July 24, 2025
The transport prosecutor’s office in the Russian Far East said the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control shortly after initiating the second attempt to land in Tynda.
An online statement confirmed that a criminal investigation has been launched into possible flight safety violations resulting in multiple deaths, a routine procedure in serious aviation incidents.
Russian media outlets reported that the aircraft was nearly 50 years old, based on information linked to its tail number.
Images broadcast by state media showed charred debris amid thick forest, with smoke billowing from the wreckage.
The An-24 had originally departed from Khabarovsk, another Far Eastern city, before stopping in Blagoveshchensk en route to Tynda. The final leg of its journey ended in disaster.
Global condolences
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolence to Russian President Vladimir Putin after the plane crash.
“On behalf of the Chinese government and people, I would like to express my deep condolences to the victims and sincere sympathy to the families of the victims,” Xi said, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expressed condolences over the tragic crash, stating on X: “We are deeply saddened by the news of the tragic An-24 aircraft crash in the Amur Region. Our heartfelt condolences go to the families and loved ones of those who lost their precious lives in this devastating accident. In this moment of grief, we stand with our Russian friends and share in mourning this profound loss.”
We are deeply saddened by the news of the tragic An-24 aircraft crash in the Amur Region. Our heartfelt condolences go to the families and loved ones of those who lost their precious lives in this devastating accident.
In this moment of grief, we stand with our Russian friends…
— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) July 24, 2025
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi extended his condolences to Putin and the Russian people following the crash.
“In my name and on behalf of the Egyptian people, I extend my sincere condolences to my friend President Vladimir Putin and the Russian people over the victims of today’s passenger plane crash in eastern Russia,” Sisi wrote in a post on his official Facebook page.
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has sent a message of condolence to Putin following the crash, according to the Belarusian president’s press service.
“It is with great sorrow that we learned the news of the numerous casualties as a result of a crash of an Angara Airlines plane flying from Blagoveshchensk to Tynda, which claimed. On behalf of the Belarusian people and personally, I extend heartfelt sympathy and sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims,” the message reads.
