MOSCOW: There was "no sign" of survivors after an aerial search of the crash site of a plane carrying 49 people in Russia's Far East, according to media reports.
The Antonov An-24 turboprop aircraft crashed when it hit a forest-covered hill while making a second attempt to land at Tynda airport in Eastern Siberia.
It had 43 passengers and six crew on board, the Governor of Amur Region, which is close to the Chinese border, said on his Telegram channel.
No survivors were spotted during an aerial inspection of the site, the state-run TASS news agency reported, citing the regional civil defence and fire safety centre.
"According to the director of Tynda Airport, the plane caught fire upon impact, and a Mi-8 helicopter crew flying over the area reported no signs of survivors," it said.
The 50-year-old aircraft belonging to regional Angara Airlines was flying on the Khabarovesk-Tynda-Blagoveschensk route, according to the governor.
According to some experts quoted by Radio BFM, “human error” in inclement weather could be a potential cause of the crash, while others blamed an engine problem.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has ordered a high-level investigation into the crash and compensation to the crash victims' families.