They did not report any problems before losing contact, according to Russia’s TASS news service, but weather conditions were poor with low visibility and Tynda is surrounded by dense forest and mountainous terrain.

The plane was confirmed to have gone down after helicopters dispatched by Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations spotted remnants of the plane’s fuselage on a mountainside some 16 kilometres from Tynda.

Videos shared on Telegram by emergency workers showed the smouldering ruins of the plane scattered amid the trees.

‘During the search operations, the Mi-8 helicopter of the Federal Air Transport Agency discovered the fuselage of the plane, which is on fire. Rescuers continue to proceed to the scene of the incident,’ a statement from the Ministry read.

Of the 49 people on board, six are crew members and five passengers are listed as children.

It is not yet known whether anyone on board survived the impact