Russian plane with 49 on board crashes, fuselage on fire

MOSCOW: A Russian plane with 49 on board crashed on Thursday. Antonov-24 of the Ankara Airlines based in Siberia crashed in the Amur region of eastern Russia while flying to the Russian city of Tynda, near the Chinese border. Reports suggested the fuselage was found to be on fire. The debris was found in the Amur region.

The crash killed 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members. They have not been identified. Russian authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. The initial conclusion is that poor visibility during landing may have been the cause of the accident. There were reports of heavy clouds and rain in the area. The plane is reported to be more than 50 years old. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Transport announced that a criminal case has been opened after the plane went missing.

The An-24 is a twin-turboprop transport aircraft developed in the Soviet Union in the late 1950s. The aircraft was designed by the Antonov Design Bureau in Kiev, Ukraine.