A Russian Mi-8T helicopter carrying 19 passengers and three crew members has gone missing near the Vachkazhets volcano in the Kamchatka peninsula, located in the country's Far East. The incident was reported by Kamchatka Krai governor Vladimir Solodov in a video statement.
The helicopter was en route from a site near the volcano to the village of Nikolaevka when it disappeared on Saturday. The region was experiencing low visibility, drizzle, and fog at the time of the incident, as reported by Russian state media. Despite the challenging weather conditions, the crew did not communicate any malfunctions with the aircraft to operational services.
Following the disappearance of the helicopter, a search operation was initiated. A search helicopter was dispatched to the last known location of the missing aircraft, while a ground rescue team was deployed to scour the Bystraya River valley, the expected flight path of the helicopter.
As of Saturday evening local time, the search efforts were ongoing despite darkness and adverse weather conditions. The search party, consisting of both air and ground units, continued their efforts to locate the missing helicopter and its occupants.
The investigative department for transport in Kamchatka is conducting an investigation into potential violations of traffic safety and air transport operation rules in connection with the incident. The department shared updates on the investigation via a Telegram post.
