Russian helicopter with 22 on board goes missing in Kamchatka region, search underway
A Russian helicopter carrying three crew members and 19 passengers has gone missing in the remote and rugged terrain of the Kamchatka Peninsula, located in Russia's Far East.
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FollowA Russian helicopter carrying three crew members and 19 passengers has gone missing in the remote and rugged terrain of the Kamchatka Peninsula, located in Russia's Far East. The incident was confirmed by preliminary reports from the federal air transport agency and cited by the Interfax news agency on Saturday.
The missing helicopter, identified as a Mi-8T, had taken off from a base near the Vachkazhets volcano, a popular destination known for its stunning landscapes and challenging terrain. According to reports, the helicopter was scheduled to check in at 04:00 GMT, but communication was lost, and the aircraft failed to report in at the designated time. The disappearance of the helicopter has raised concerns, prompting a large-scale search and rescue operation in the area.
The Mi-8T helicopter, designed in the 1960s, is a twin-engine aircraft widely used across Russia and its neighboring countries. Known for its versatility and reliability, the Mi-8 has been a workhorse in various capacities, including transport, rescue missions, and military operations. However, the vast and often treacherous wilderness of Kamchatka presents significant challenges to search and rescue efforts.
This incident follows a similar tragedy earlier this month. On August 12, another Mi-8 helicopter, operated by Vityaz-Aero, crashed in the Kamchatka region. That helicopter, carrying 13 passengers and three crew members, hard-landed near a lake in the southern part of the peninsula. Reports from the local emergency services indicated that the helicopter was ferrying tourists from Moscow and St. Petersburg. According to RIA, a state news agency, the helicopter tragically plunged into the lake, leading to a harrowing rescue operation.
The Kamchatka Peninsula, a remote and isolated region more than 6,000 kilometers (3,728 miles) east of Moscow and approximately 2,000 kilometers west of Alaska, is renowned for its pristine natural beauty. The area is a popular destination for tourists, particularly for those seeking adventure in its volcanic landscapes, dense forests, and rugged coastlines. Despite its allure, the region's challenging geography and unpredictable weather conditions have often complicated travel and transportation, making incidents like these a grim reality.
As of now, the fate of the passengers and crew aboard the missing helicopter remains unknown. Authorities are mobilizing all available resources to locate the helicopter, but the remote location and difficult weather conditions are expected to pose significant obstacles. The families of those aboard the helicopter are anxiously awaiting news as the search operation continues. The aviation community and the general public are left to grapple with yet another tragic event in a region known for both its beauty and peril.
