(MENAFN) A Russian passenger aircraft that vanished from radar during a Thursday flight over the Amur region in the Far East has been confirmed crashed, with all passengers and crew presumed dead, officials reported.

The Emergency Situations Ministry announced via Telegram that the wreckage of the Antonov An-24 had been found. During search operations, a Federal Air Transport Agency helicopter spotted the burning fuselage. Preliminary reports indicate the plane carried 43 passengers, including five children, alongside six crew members.

“Rescuers are heading to the scene,” the ministry’s statement added, noting a hotline was set up in the region, which borders China’s Heilongjiang province.

Amur Governor Vasily Orlov revealed the flight was en route from the region’s capital, Blagoveshchensk, to Tynda when contact was lost.

According to a local news agency, referencing the Amur Center for Civil Defense and Fire Safety, the wreckage was located on a mountainside approximately 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Tynda.

“According to preliminary information, everyone died,” the news agency reported, citing emergency services and highlighting the challenging terrain that complicates landing near the crash site.

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