A search and rescue operation has been launched in Russia’s Far East after a helicopter carrying 22 people, mostly tourists, disappeared.
The Mi-8T helicopter took off from a base near the Vachkazhets volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Emergency Situations Ministry reported on Saturday.
That part of the peninsula is a popular tourist destination, famous for its rich landscapes and active volcanoes.
Officials say the helicopter disappeared from radar shortly after takeoff, and dense fog is also hampering rescue efforts.
The helicopter, owned by Vityaz-Aero, made a trip to the volcano. The Mi-8 helicopter, designed during the Soviet era, is still popular and widely used in Russia.
It disappeared from radar and crew members were unable to make contact from about 16:15 (04:15 GMT), Kamchatka’s governor said. An Emergencies Ministry source told state news agency Tass that the crew had not reported any problems before the disappearance.
According to Vladimir Solodov, there were 19 passengers and three crew members on board.
The aerial search continued throughout the night, but visibility was poor.
Others joined the search on foot, along the Bystraya River valley, where the helicopter was also headed.
The mountainous Kamchatka Peninsula, over 6,000 km east of Moscow, is popular with tourists.
But there have been several plane crashes over the years: two in just two months in 2021 alone.
