A civilian Mi-8 helicopter has disappeared in the Far East.
According to emergency services, there could have been 22 people on board – three crew members and 19 tourist passengers.
The helicopter of the air carrier Vityaz-Aero was supposed to fly along the route Vachkazhets volcano – Nikolaevka village (Yelizovsky district of Kamchatka Krai), RIA Novosti reports.
The approximate distance is 25 km. It is a few minutes' journey. But the aircraft did not arrive at its destination. The pilots did not contact after takeoff. The search has begun.
The information about the tourists is still being checked. There is no exact information that there were 19 passengers on board.
Five rescuers and four vehicles have been sent to search. They have arrived in the area of the volcano. From here they are exploring the route the helicopter was supposed to take on the ground.
Vachkazhets volcano
It is considered the highest point of the Yuzhno-Bystrinsky Range in the south of Kamchatka Krai. The volcano is located 80 km west of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
The height of Vachkazhenets is 1556 m. It is considered extinct and is recognized as a natural monument of regional significance.
