17 Bodies Recovered After Helicopter Crash in Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula
Rescuers have recovered 17 bodies from the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed in Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka peninsula while carrying 22 people, most of whom were tourists.
Operating for the Kamchatka-based company Vityaz-Aero, the Mi-8T helicopter vanished on Saturday after taking off from a base close to the Vachkazhets volcano, a well-liked tourist destination renowned for its untamed landscapes and active volcanoes.
The wreckage was discovered Sunday morning in a hilly area, near where the helicopter last made contact. According to Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov, there were no survivors found among the passengers, which included 19 tourists and three crew members.
Russia’s Emergencies Ministry stated that search efforts for the remaining five people will resume at daybreak on Monday, after being paused due to harsh weather conditions, including thick fog and rain.
Preliminary reports suggest that poor visibility, possibly caused by fog, may have contributed to the crash, with pilot error being considered as a likely cause. The helicopter, which was designed in the 1960s during the Soviet era, is widely used in Russia.
This tragic incident is reminiscent of another crash in the region three years ago when eight people were killed after a tourist helicopter crashed into a lake. The ongoing investigation will seek to determine the exact cause of this latest accident.
The Daily Mail, Aljazeera and BBC contributed to the report.
