Russian helicopter goes missing in Kamchatka Peninsula

A Russian Mi-8T helicopter, carrying 22 individuals, has gone missing in the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Far East of Russia, according to local officials.

The helicopter, operated by Vityaz Aero, disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from a site near the Vachkazhets volcano on Saturday. It was en route to the village of Nikolaevka.

The aircraft had 19 passengers, who are believed to be tourists, and three crew members on board. The local governor, Vladimir Solodov, confirmed the loss of contact in a video statement. Conditions in the region included low visibility, drizzle, and fog, as reported by Russian state media TASS. There were no prior reports of malfunctions from the crew.

Following the disappearance, a search operation was launched,
including a helicopter from the same airline and a ground rescue team. They are focusing their efforts along the Bystraya River valley, which the helicopter would have flown over. Rescue operations are being hampered by poor weather conditions and darkness.

The Kamchatka Investigative Department for Transport is investigating the incident to determine if there were any violations of safety regulations or operational rules.

CNN has also reported that additional resources are being mobilized to assist in the search, highlighting the challenging conditions faced by rescuers.