Plane with 28 passengers on board loses contact, goes missing in Russia’s far east

Contact has been lost with a passenger plane carrying 28 people in Russia’s Far East, news agencies cited emergency services as saying on Tuesday.
The An-26 was flying from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Palana in the Kamchatka Peninsula when it did not make a scheduled call-in, the Interfax, RIA Novosti and TASS agencies quoted local officials as saying.

The report said the 28 on board included six crew members and that there were one or two children among the passengers.

The plane lost contact with air traffic control while attempting to land, TASS separately cited a source as saying.

Russia, once known for aircraft-related accidents, has improved its air traffic safety records in the past few years. However, poor maintenance of air crafts and a low level of safety standards still prevail. Flying is also dangerous in the country’s isolated regions with difficult weather conditions.

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