A passenger plane carrying around 50 people has gone missing in Russia’s Far East, prompting a large-scale search operation near the border with China. The An-24 aircraft, operated by Siberia-based Angara Airlines, disappeared from radar while making a second attempt to land at Tynda airport in the Amur region.

Air traffic controllers reportedly lost contact with the aircraft midway through the flight, shortly after an initial approach to the airport was aborted, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.

Regional governor Vasily Orlov confirmed that “all necessary forces and resources have been deployed to search for the plane.” In a Telegram post, he said preliminary data indicated 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members were on board.

The local emergencies ministry, however, placed the number slightly lower at about 40.

The aircraft vanished near Tynda, a remote town in the mountainous Amur region, located about 6,600 kilometres east of Moscow. The terrain and weather conditions in the area are known to be difficult, adding to the challenge for rescue teams.

The An-24 is a Soviet-era twin turboprop aircraft still in use for regional flights across Russia, especially in rugged and sparsely connected regions. The nature of its disappearance, during a landing attempt and without immediate distress signals, has drawn parallels to past mid-air mysteries.

In September last year, a Robinson R66 helicopter with three people on board went missing in the same Amur region during an unregistered flight. The wreckage was found days later in a forested area.

Authorities have not yet confirmed whether any emergency signals were transmitted before the An-24 dropped off radar. As of now, there is no official word on the fate of the passengers or crew.

(With Reuters inputs)