According to initial reports from the federal air transport agency, as quoted by Interfax news agency on Saturday, a Russian helicopter with 3 crew members and 19 passengers is unaccounted for in the far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.
According to Reuters, the Mi-8T helicopter left a base close to the Vachkazhets volcano but did not make contact as planned at 04:00 GMT.
2-engine helicopter Mi-8T was designed in the 1960s
The Mi-8, a twin-engine helicopter created in the 1960s, is widely utilized in Russia and adjacent nations.
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Earlier on August 12, a Mi-8 helicopter carrying 16 passengers crashed in the Far East region of Kamchatka in Russia.
The local emergency service reported that a helicopter belonging to Vityaz-Aero company, carrying 13 passengers and three crew members, made a rough landing near a lake in the southern part of Kamchatka peninsula.
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The helicopter, transporting tourists from Moscow and St Petersburg, was reported by state news agency RIA, based on information from an emergency service source. RIA reported that the helicopter had crashed into the lake.
Tourists are drawn to the Kamchatka peninsula for its natural beauty. It is located over 6,000 km away from Moscow towards the east and around 2,000 km from Alaska towards the west.
