Helicopter with 22 Onboard Disappears in Eastern Russia

A helicopter carrying 22 people has vanished in far eastern Russia, prompting an extensive search and rescue operation.

According to authorities, a helicopter carrying mainly tourists and 22 individuals total has disappeared in Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula located in the far east.

According to a video message shared on Telegram by Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov, an Mi-8 helicopter carrying 19 passengers and three crew members lost communication at 04:15 GMT.

According to Russian authorities, the missing aircraft was being sought by rescue teams aboard helicopters who concentrated their search through the night along a river valley that corresponded with its flight path.

The Mi-8, which was designed in the 1960s and sports two engines, sees wide usage across Russia as well as neighbouring countries and worldwide. Despite its popularity though, frequent crashes have been reported in recent times.

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Passengers were picked up by a helicopter in the vicinity of Vachkajec, an ancient volcano located in a picturesque region of the peninsula famous for its untamed scenery and active volcanic activity.

Authorities stated that the next destination of its journey was Nikolayevka village, which is situated farther east and approximately 25km (15.5 miles) away from the current location.

According to a state news agency TASS, an emergency services official stated that the helicopter vanished from radar right after taking off and no issues were reported by the crew.

According to the local weather service, visibility in the airport’s vicinity was low.

The sparsely populated far eastern region of Russia experiences frequent accidents involving planes and helicopters due to the harsh weather conditions prevalent there.

During August 2021, a total of sixteen individuals were aboard an Mi-8 helicopter that crashed into Kamchatka’s lake due to visibility issues. Thirteen of the passengers consisted of tourists while eight people died as a result. Meanwhile, in July prior to this event on said peninsula, all twenty-two travelers and six crew members onboard a plane lost their lives when it unexpectedly fell during landing procedures.