A passenger plane carrying 49 people has been reported as missing in Russia’s far east and a search is underway, the regional governor has said.

The local emergencies ministry said the An-24, operated by the Siberia-based airline Angara, dropped off radar screens while approaching its destination of Tynda, a town in the Amur region bordering China.

The regional governor, Vasily Orlov, said according to preliminary data, there were 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members on board.

“All necessary forces and means have been deployed to search for the plane,” he wrote on Telegram.

The emergencies ministry said the number of people onboard was about 40.

The Russian news agency Interfax reported emergency services as saying: “The An-24 plane was flying along the Khabarovsk-Blagoveshchensk-Tynda route. It failed to pass security checks near its final destination. There is no contact with it.”

More to follow...