Wreckage of missing Mi-8T helicopter found: Russian Ministry

Moscow: The Mi-8T helicopter that went missing near the Vachkazhets volcano in Russia's Kamchatka region has crashed, with rescuers locating its wreckage from the air, local media reported on Sunday.

According to the state-owned TASS news agency, the wreckage was spotted at an altitude of 900 metres near the last known location of the helicopter, quoting information from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.

The helicopter, operated by Vityaz-Aero airline, lost communication shortly after taking off on Saturday morning. It was carrying 22 people, including 19 passengers and three crew members when it went missing.

The Federal Air Transport Agency reported that the Mi-8T 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 reports indicated that low visibility was recorded by the Kamchatka Hydrometeorological Centre in the area of Nikolaevka airport, close to where the helicopter lost contact.

In response to the disappearance, a search was initiated with another helicopter, and 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 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.