Wreckage of missing Russian An-24 plane found near forest, no survivors likely

Moscow [Russia], July 24 : A Russian passenger plane carrying 43 people has been found crashed in a remote forest near Tynda, with no signs of survivors, Russia Today reported on Thursday.

The Antonov An-24 aircraft, which went missing during a domestic flight from Blagoveshchensk to Tynda, was located by a rescue helicopter about 15 kilometres from its destination, Russia Today reported.

The twin turboprop aircraft lost communication shortly before reaching Tynda Airport, with no distress signal sent, according to a source quoted by RT. The flight was operated over a 570-kilometre route across Russia's Far Eastern Amur Region.

Governor of the region, Vasily Orlov, confirmed that 43 passengers were on board, including four crew members. Five children were among the passengers, he said.

Video footage released by emergency services showed a Mi-8 helicopter flying over a heavily forested area as part of the search operation. The wreckage was found burning in the taiga, a dense and hilly boreal forest, which has made rescue efforts difficult, as per Russia Today.

The An-24 aircraft, developed in the 1950s, is widely used in Russia for regional transport. More than 1,000 planes were produced over several decades.

Authorities have launched a full-scale investigation, but officials say initial assessments indicate there are no survivors.

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