Plane with nearly 50 people on board disappears in Russia's far east

Air traffic controllers lost contact with an An-24 passenger plane carrying about 50 people in Russia's far east on Thursday (24). According to the region's governor, Vasily Orlov, searches for the aircraft are already underway.

The local Emergencies Ministry said the plane, operated by a Siberia-based airline called Angara, disappeared from radar as it approached its destination, Tynda, a city in the Amur region on the border with China.

The regional governor said that, according to preliminary data, there were 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members on board.

"All necessary forces and resources have been mobilized to search for the plane," he wrote on Telegram.

The Ministry of Emergencies estimated the number of people on board to be slightly lower, around 40.

*Undergoing update