Rescuers Recover 17 Bodies, Find Missing Helicopter in Kamchatka

Rescuers have recovered 17 bodies after a tourist helicopter crashed in Russia's remote Kamchatka Peninsula, authorities confirmed on Sunday. The helicopter, operated by Kamchatka-based Vityaz-Aero, was carrying 22 people, including 19 tourists and 3 crew members, when it went missing shortly after takeoff on Saturday.

The Russian Emergencies Ministry stated that the search for the remaining passengers continues, though all aboard are presumed dead. The crash is believed to have been caused by poor visibility and adverse weather conditions, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, citing the emergencies ministry.

The wreckage was found early Sunday in a hilly area at an altitude of 900 meters, Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov reported via a video posted on Telegram. Aerial footage released by the ministry showed the debris scattered on a wooded slope near the summit of a hill. The helicopter was located close to where it had disappeared from radar, shortly after taking off near the Vachkazhets volcano.

Ivan Lemikhov, an official from the emergencies ministry, confirmed the discovery of 17 bodies and said that rescuers had set up camp, with the search set to resume at daybreak.

The helicopter involved in the crash was a Soviet-designed Mi-8, commonly used for transport in Russia's far eastern regions, which are sparsely populated and difficult to access. Accidents involving this type of helicopter are not uncommon in the area. In August 2021, a Mi-8 crashed into a lake in Kamchatka, killing 8 out of the 16 people on board. The following month, a plane crash in the region claimed the lives of all 28 passengers.

The cause of Saturday’s crash is still under investigation, but dense fog and poor visibility are considered likely contributing factors.