MOSCOW: At least six people onboard died after a Russian An-26 military transport aircraft crashed on Thursday, the TASS news agency reported.

According to a source from the emergencies ministry, none of the crew on board the aircraft survived, as debris from the plane was spotted earlier by rescuers near the city of Khabarovsk in Russia’s Far East.

Regional rescuers are currently approaching the crash site, and they have spent several hours in trying to find the location in strong winds, with further details to follow, TASS reported, citing Mikhail Degtyarev, the regional governor.

The plane lost contact some 38 km away from a military airport in the Khabarovsk Region on Wednesday.

The flight was on a mission to check ground-based radio technical support.