Russian plane crashes with 49 feared killed

While the precise cause remains undetermined, the investigative committee has initiated a criminal investigation, citing potential equipment failure and human error. Local media quoted unnamed sources stating the crew issued no distress signal, and the emergency beacon failed to activate.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin established a government commission, headed by Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin, to address the consequences of the crash. Nikitin and Federal Air Transport Agency chief Dmitry Yadrov were dispatched to the crash site at Mishustin's direction. President Vladimir Putin has also been briefed about the crash, according to his spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

The Antonov An-24, designed in the 1950s, is typically used for regional passenger and cargo transport. The Federal Air Transport Agency confirmed this model has been involved in four aviation accidents since 2018 and remains in limited commercial service in Russia.

The crashed aircraft belonged to Angara Airlines, which operates routes throughout the Far East and Eastern Siberia.