Russia plane crash leaves 48 dead
The aircraft, a twin-propeller Antonov-24 operated by Angara Airlines, was headed to the eastern town of Tynda from the city of Blagoveshchensk on Thursday when it disappeared from radar at around 1pm local time (5am BST).
According to Russian media, the plane, which entered service in 1976, crashed while attempting to land at Tynda Airport.
It was said to have failed on its first approach and flown around for a second attempt, when it stopped communicating with air traffic control.
A rescue helicopter later spotted its fuselage burning on a forested mountain slope about 10 miles from Tynda.
Videos published by Russian investigators showed columns of smoke billowing from the wreckage of the plane in a dense, forested area.
Credit: Russian Federal Air Transport Agency
Response teams from the region's civil defence agency were dispatched to the site, but found no survivors.
Authorities initially reported that 49 people were killed, however this was revised to 48 when it emerged that one passenger, a grandmother, had stayed home to look after her sick granddaughter.
A list of the passengers and crew was published in Russian media, which included the 43-year-old stewardess Anastasia Bessmertnaya – whose surname means 'immortal'.
Several doctors were killed in the crash, including Galina Naidyonova, an experienced obstetrician-gynaecologist, and Alexey Naidyonov, her a specialist in functional diagnostics.
Five children were reported to have been among the dead.
Vadim Bazykin, a well-known Russian test pilot, told the Izvestia newspaper that flights on ageing aircraft such as the Antonov An-24 should be banned.
'It seems to me that it would be better to ban flights on such old equipment if we are not able to bring it up to standard. We are simply constantly risking passengers,' he said.
Vladimir Putin expressed his 'sincere sympathy and condolences to the relatives, friends, and all the families of those killed in this air crash' while attending a meeting on the development of the Russian submarine fleet.
He declared a minute's silence in memory of the victims.
A three-day mourning period was announced in the Amur region, its governor said.
A criminal case has been opened into the incident, with human error and technical malfunctions considered as possible causes of the crash.
Rescuers in the helicopter saw no evidence of survivors, local rescuers said, as the Amur region's civil defence agency said it was dispatching a ground team to the scene.
Russian state media reported that the plane was manufactured almost 50 years ago. 'In 2021, the aircraft's airworthiness certificate was extended until 2036,' it said, citing a source in aviation services.
The Antonov-24 is a popular, Soviet-designed twin-propeller plane that first entered into service in 1959.
Russia has taken steps to switch from Soviet aircraft to modern jets in recent years, but ageing light aircraft are still widely used in far-flung regions, with accidents frequent.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Former POWs in Russia channel their pain into rebuilding lives in Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Since his release from a Russian prison in April, Stanislav Tarnavskyi has been in a hurry to build the life in Ukraine he dreamed about during three years of captivity. The 25-year-old has proposed to his girlfriend, bought an apartment and adopted a golden retriever. And that was just what he accomplished one week in July. But as busy as he is rekindling old relationships and creating new ones, Tarnavskyi cannot shake the trauma he and thousands of other Ukrainian soldiers experienced as prisoners of war. The U.N. says many endured beatings, starvation and humiliation at the hands of their captors — experiences that will leave lifelong scars. Tarnavskyi, who was captured during the battle for Mariupol in April of 2022, regularly has nightmares about the prisons where he was held. 'I see the officers who watched over us. I dream they want to harm me, catch me,' he said. When he wakes up, his heart pounds, anxiety surges — until he realizes he is in the outskirts of Kyiv, where he was forced to move because Russia occupied his hometown of Berdiansk. As the three-year war drags on , Tarnavskyi is one of more than 5,000 former POWs back in Ukraine rehabilitating with the help of regular counseling. Regardless of any physical injuries that may require attention, psychologists say it is vital to monitor former POWs for years after their release; the cost of war, they say, echoes for generations. A marriage proposal In a photography studio high above Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, sunlight floods the white walls. After a shoot that lasted several hours Tarnavskyi said the brightness was hurting his eyes, which are still sensitive from years spent in a dark cell. But his mood couldn't be dimmed. The girlfriend who waited for his return had just consented to his surprise proposal. 'I love you very much, I am very glad that you waited for me,' Tarnavskyi said, holding a thick bouquet of pink roses and a ring. 'You have always been my support, and I hope you will remain so for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?' Tarnavskyi said it was the thought of Tetiana Baieva — whom he met in 2021 — that helped stop him from committing suicide three times during captivity. Still, he finds it hard to talk with Baieva about his time in prison. He doesn't want to be pitied. Soon after he returned home, he was paranoid, feeling watched — a reaction to constant surveillance in prison. 'If you stepped out of line, they'd (Russians) come and beat you. I still get flashbacks when I see (surveillance) cameras. If I see one, I get nervous,' he said. But with each passing week, he is feeling better, progress Tarnavskyi credits to the work he is doing with a psychologist. Lifelong care is vital Any small stimulus — a smell, a breeze, a color — can trigger traumatic memories for POWs, says Kseniia Voznitsyna, the director of Ukraine's Lisova Polyana mental health center for veterans on the outskirts of Kyiv. Yet contrary to stereotypes, ex-POWs aren't more aggressive. 'They tend to isolate themselves, avoid large gatherings, and struggle with trust,' said Voznitsyna. 'They say time heals — five or ten years, maybe — but it doesn't,' she added. 'It just feels less intense.' A 2014 study in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine found that Israeli ex-POWs and combat veterans tracked over 35 years had higher mortality rates, chronic illnesses and worse self-rated health — conditions partly tied to depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. The authors of the study said that is why it is crucial to monitor ex-POWs and give them specialized medical and psychological care as they age. That logic rings true to Denys Zalizko, a 21-year-old former POW who has been back in Ukraine for less than three months but is already sure his recovery will take a long time. 'You can't fool yourself. Even if you really want to, you will never forget. It will always haunt you,' he said. An artist to be Zalizko survived torture, suicide attempts and relentless beatings during roughly 15 months in Russian captivity. The first time his mother, Maria Zalizko, saw him after his release, she barely recognized him. He was thin and appeared 'broken', she said, with torment in his eyes. Zalizko's physical appearance is now almost completely different. His skin looks healthy, his muscles are taut and he has lots of energy. But still there is sadness in his eyes. Two things keep him moving forward and help clear his mind: music and exercise. 'Pauses and stillness bring anxiety,' says Zalizko. Like Tarnavskyi, he is receiving mandatory counseling at the Lisova Polyana mental health center. And like many former POWs, he still battles hypervigilance — listening for threats, scanning his surroundings. At night, sleep comes in fragments, and that was true even before a recent uptick in nightly drone attacks by the Russian army. For the families of POWs, the reintegration process is also a struggle. A psychologist advised Maria Zalizko to give her son space, to avoid calling him too often. But it is Denys who often calls her, sometimes singing over the phone — a skill she taught him as a child. 'I love music. Music unites,' he said, touching the tattoo of a treble clef behind his ear — inked after his return. Even in captivity, he sang quietly to himself, composing songs in his mind about love, home and war. Now he dreams of turning that passion into a career as an artist. 'I've become stronger now,' Zalizko said. 'I'm not afraid of death, not afraid of losing an arm or a leg, not afraid of dying instantly. I fear nothing anymore.'
Boston Globe
19 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Lucas, 12, is confident, compassionate
He loves reading, swimming, playing soccer, riding his bike, and spending time with others. Whether he's engaging in a favorite activity or chatting with someone new, Lucas brings energy and positivity wherever he goes. He is also incredibly proud of his cultural background and speaks English, Ukrainian, Russian, and Spanish. Lucas lights up when he gets the chance to speak Russian or Ukrainian and enjoys connecting with others about heritage and identity. Lucas is a strong self-advocate with a mature perspective. He prefers meaningful conversations — especially with adults — and often shares one of his favorite sayings: 'Your words must match your actions.' Advertisement With the right support, Lucas is sure to thrive and continue growing into the confident, compassionate person he's becoming. Can I adopt? If you're at least 18 years old, have a stable source of income, and room in your heart, you may be a perfect match to adopt a waiting child. Adoptive parents can be single, married, or partnered; experienced or not; renters or homeowners; LGBTQ+ singles and couples. As an adoptive parent, you won't have to pay any fees, adoption from foster care is completely free in Massachusetts. The process to adopt a child from foster care includes training, interviews, and home visits to determine if adoption is right for you. These steps will help match you with a child or sibling group that your family will fit well with. Advertisement Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) can give you guidance and information on the adoption process. To learn more about adoption from foster care visit Reach out today to find out all the ways you can help children and teens in foster care.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Serious safety violations found at Russian airline a month before fatal crash, Izvestia says
MOSCOW (Reuters) -A spot check on Angara Airlines, which operated the Antonov An-24 plane which crashed in Russia's far east on Thursday killing all 48 on board, had uncovered serious safety violations a month beforehand, the Izvestia news outlet reported on Friday. The plane, which was 49 years old, crashed as it prepared to land, in an incident that highlighted the use of old, Soviet-era aircraft and raised questions about their viability, with Western sanctions limiting access to investment and spare parts. Russia's transport ministry said on Friday that aviation and transport regulators would investigate the privately-owned Angara's activities to check if it is complying with federal aviation rules before taking a decision about its future. Vasily Orlov, the governor of the Amur region where the plane came down, said on Friday that investigators were working on the crash site and that there were two main theories about what had caused it: technical failure and pilot error. The plane's black boxes had been recovered and were being sent to Moscow to be studied, he said. Citing documents it had seen from Russia's airline and transport regulators, Izvestia said that transport safety inspectors had carried out a spot check on Angara in June which had uncovered concerns related to the servicing of its planes. Eight of Angara's planes had been temporarily grounded due to the inspection, it said, and four of its technical staff temporarily banned from carrying out technical inspections. Angara and Rostransnadzor, the transport regulator, did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and Reuters could not independently verify the details of the inspection. Izvestia said that inspectors had drawn attention to the fact that the company's documents had shown that planes had sometimes purportedly been serviced by staff who other documents showed were not working on the relevant days. The standard rules and methods of servicing were also not being followed by staff, some of whom did not have the necessary qualifications for such work, Izvestia said. In one instance, documents showed that a special piece of testing equipment needed to check a plane's control panel had not been physically issued even though other documents showed someone had signed off that the test had been done. "I ask you to present a plan to fix the violations identified, a report about the reasons for them, and measures being taken to ensure they do not occur," a letter from Rostransnadzor, the transport regulator, to Angara sent after the inspection said, according to Izvestia.
