Wreckage of missing Russian passenger plane found

The wreckage of the Russian passenger plane that went missing Thursday morning in the country’s far east has been found, authorities have said.

Russia’s TASS news agency, citing emergency services, reported that a search and rescue helicopter has located the wreckage of the crashed plane. 

The An-24 twin turboprop passenger plane, operated by Siberia-based airline Angara, went missing during a trip over Amur Region on Thursday, according to local media.

The aircraft was taking 43 passengers, including five children, from Blagoveshchensk to Tynda, a flight of roughly 570 km, RT reported citing the Amur governor Vasily Orlov. There were four crew members aboard, he added.

An Interfax report, however, said that the plane was carrying 40 passengers and 6 crew members.