Regional officials in Kamchatka peninsula announced that a helicopter with 19 tourists and 3 crew members on board has disappeared today in Russia’s Far East region of Kamchatka.
According to the video posted on social media by Kamchatka Governor, at “approximately 16:15 (0415 GMT), contact was lost with a Mi-8 helicopter… which had 22 individuals on board, including 19 passengers and three crew members.”
Incidents involving small aircraft, such as small planes and helicopters, occur with notable regularity in the sparsely populated far eastern region of Russia, where severe weather conditions are often prevalent.
In August 2021, a Mi-8 helicopter carrying 16 individuals, including 13 tourists, tragically crashed into a lake in Kamchatka as a result of limited visibility, resulting in the loss of eight lives.
Earlier that same month, a plane crash landed on the peninsula, claiming the lives of all 22 passengers and 6 crew members on board.
The Mi-8 is an old helicopter designed back in the USSR period, which is extensively utilized for transportation purposes in Russia.
The helicopter that is currently unaccounted for had collected tourists in proximity to the Vachkazhets ancient volcano, situated in a picturesque region of the peninsula renowned for its rugged terrain and active volcanic activity.
According to the emergency services, the missing helicopter lost radar contact shortly after its departure, and the crew did not indicate any issues.
The regional meteorological service reported that visibility in the vicinity of the airport was significantly compromised.
Russian authorities report that rescue teams utilizing helicopters have been conducting searches throughout the night for the missing aircraft, concentrating their efforts on a river valley that the helicopter was scheduled to traverse.
