MOSCOW. A passenger aircraft operated by Angara Airlines crashed Thursday in Russia’s Far East, killing all 48 passengers and crew members, according to local officials.
The plane disappeared from radar and was later found in flames on a remote hillside south of its intended destination in Tynda, approximately 7,000 kilometers east of Moscow, the Emergency Situations Ministry confirmed.
Regional Governor Vasily Orlov announced three days of mourning in the Amur region, calling the crash a “terrible tragedy.” All 48 individuals on board were confirmed dead. Initial reports mistakenly cited 49 people onboard, but the figure was later corrected without explanation.
The Soviet-era twin turboprop aircraft had taken off from Khabarovsk, made a stop in Blagoveshchensk near the Chinese border, and was en route to Tynda. The transport prosecutor’s office stated that the aircraft was attempting a second landing when it lost contact with air traffic controllers.
Russian state media shared images of debris scattered in dense forest, with thick smoke rising from the crash site. Orlov noted that the remote location, 15 kilometers south of Tynda, hampered rescue efforts.
The cause of the crash has not been officially determined. However, Russia’s Interfax news agency cited unnamed emergency sources who pointed to poor weather conditions. Other reports also noted the aircraft was nearly 50 years old, based on its tail number.
Authorities have opened a criminal investigation into possible flight safety violations, a standard response to aviation disasters in the country. Russia’s aviation industry has seen a rise in accidents in recent years, partly due to international sanctions affecting aircraft maintenance and replacement parts.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
