An Antonov An-24 passenger plane carrying 48 people crashed in Russia's far east as it was preparing to land, killing everyone on board in an incident that spotlighted the continued use of old, Soviet-era aircraft.

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.

The plane, a Soviet-era Antonov An-24 with 43 passengers and six crew members, was traveling to the small town of Tynda from Blagoveshchensk, near the border with China, when it went off the radar, Vasily Orlov, the regional governor, said in a statement.