Rescuers in Russia’s Far East have found no survivors in the wreckage of a helicopter that went missing with 22 people on board – mostly tourists.
The plane went missing on Saturday after taking off from a base near the Vachkazhets volcano on the Kamchatka peninsula.
The area, a popular tourist destination, is known for its active volcanoes. The cause of the accident remains unclear.
Such accidents are relatively common in Russia’s Far East, where the population is sparse and the weather is harsh. Three years ago, eight people died when A tourist helicopter crashed into the lake. in Kamchatka.
The Mi-8T helicopter disappeared from radar on Saturday carrying 19 tourists and three crew members.
Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said on Telegram that the plane’s wreckage was found on Sunday morning in a mountainous area.
Footage posted to the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s messaging app showed helicopter debris lying near a slope near a large wooded hill. Officials said the wreckage was found near the spot where the helicopter disappeared from radar.
An official from the Emergencies Ministry, Ivan Lemikhov, said 17 bodies had been found so far and the search for those still missing had been suspended, with the search expected to resume at dawn on Monday.
Russia’s Interfax news agency reported that pilot error, possibly due to fog, was the main hypothesis regarding the cause of the crash.
Officials earlier said heavy fog was hampering rescue efforts.
The plane is owned by Vityaz-Aero, a Kamchatka-based company that organizes flights for tourists.
Designed during the Soviet era, the Mi-8 helicopter is still widely used in Russia.
