The wreckage of a Russian helicopter carrying 22 people, which went missing in the country’s Far East on Saturday, was discovered on Sunday, according to Russia’s Emergencies Ministry. Unfortunately, there were no survivors, emergency services confirmed to Russian state media TASS.
The Mi-8T helicopter, with 19 passengers and three crew members on board, disappeared near a volcano in the Kamchatka peninsula. Kamchatka Krai governor Vladimir Solodov stated that the helicopter had set off from a site near the Vachkazhets volcano and was en route to the village of Nikolaevka.
By Sunday evening, 17 bodies had been recovered, the ministry reported.
TASS indicated that the helicopter crashed into a hill while flying in poor conditions, including low visibility, drizzle, and fog. Preliminary data suggested that crew error in these challenging conditions was the likely cause of the crash. The crew had not reported any malfunctions before the incident, according to operational services.
