New Delhi [India] July 25 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed condolences on the loss of lives in a plane crash in Russia.

PM Modi said that India stood in solidarity with the victims.

In a post on X, he said, 'Deeply saddened at the loss of lives in the tragic plane crash in Russia. Extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. We stand in solidarity with Russia and its people.'

https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1948429410706882620

Almost 50 people including children are feared dead after a Soviet-era passenger plane crashed in Russia's far-eastern Amur region, state media reported on Thursday, citing local officials, CNN reported.

The plane, an Antonov An-24, was flying on a regional route from Khabarovsk to Blagoveshchensk and Tynda when it disappeared from the radar around 1 p.m. local time (midnight ET), the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said in a statement posted on Telegram, as per CNN.

The Amur Center for Civil Defence and Fire Safety said on Telegram that a search and rescue helicopter spotted the wreck of the aircraft on a mountain slope 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Tynda. It said no survivors were seen from the air.

It said that according to the director of Tynda airport, the plane caught fire after it crashed.

The emergency ministry said it is investigating why it lost contact, and the Interstate Aviation Committee has launched a probe. The Russian government also set up a special commission tasked with dealing with the crash, which includes federal and regional officials. The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin had been informed about the incident, as per CNN.

The Far Eastern Transport Prosecutor's Office said in a statement on its website that the plane was attempting to land for the second time when it crashed, after failing to touch down on its first approach. Russian state news agency TASS reported that the crew did not issue any distress calls, according to the emergency services, and that the weather at the airport was suitable for flying, CNN reported.

According to publicly available databases, the aircraft was built in 1976. The Antonov AN-24 model was designed in 1957, as per CNN.

Vasiliy Orlov, the governor of Amur region, said on Telegram that according to preliminary data, there were 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members on board the plane. (ANI)