Russia: Helicopter with 22 onboard goes missing near Kamchatka volcano

Moscow: A helicopter carrying 22 people has gone missing near the Vachkazhets volcano in the Russian Far East's Kamchatka region, the local media reported on Saturday.

The Mi-8T helicopter, operated by Vityaz-Aero airline, lost communication shortly after takeoff on Saturday morning, the state-owned TASS news agency reported.

The Federal Air Transport Agency stated that the helicopter, which took off from a site near the Vachkazhets volcano, failed to respond to a scheduled call at around 7:15 am, Moscow time. The communication with the helicopter, however, was lost shortly after it picked up the tourists.

According to the emergency services, the Mi-8T helicopter disappeared from radar almost immediately after takeoff, though the crew did not report any issues prior to the loss of contact. The helicopter was carrying 19 passengers and three crew members.

Local media reports also suggest that low visibility was registered by the Kamchatka Hydrometeorological Centre in the area of Nikolaevka airport, close to where contact with the helicopter was lost.

In response, another flight has been launched to search for the missing helicopter with a second Mi-8 helicopter, along with a ground rescue team, prepared to follow the search route.

Additionally, a criminal case has been opened concerning the violation of traffic safety rules and the operation of air transport.

The Kamchatka Investigative Department for Transport of the Eastern MCUT Investigative Committee of Russia has opened an investigation into the incident under Article 263 of the Russian Federation's Criminal Code, which pertains to violations of traffic safety rules and the operation of air transport.

A ground rescue team has also been deployed, setting out from two locations - the Vachkazhets volcano and the settlement of Nikolaevka - to help the search efforts.