Mi‑8 helicopter with 22 on board missing near Kamchatka volcano

A Mi-8 helicopter with 22 people on board went missing on Saturday right after takeoff, according to the AP agency. The incident occurred near the Vachkazhets volcano south of the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia. A search and rescue operation is in progress.

In a video statement, Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said that 19 passengers and three crew members were on board the helicopter. The helicopter took off from near the Vachkazhets volcano and was flying to the village of Nikolayevka but did not reach its destination, reported the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya).

CNN, citing Russian media, reported that bad weather conditions prevailed on the flight path, which may have reduced visibility. Rescue services reported that the aircraft crew did not report any malfunctions.

Search helicopters are scouring the area where the Mi-8 was last seen on radar and the area around the Bystraya River, over which the missing aircraft was supposed to fly. The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsiya, reported that another Mi-8 helicopter had been sent to search for the missing aircraft.

The Mi-8 is a twin-engine helicopter designed in the 1960s, often used in Russian air transport.

The Kamchatka Transport Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into compliance with flight safety regulations in connection with the incident.

Additionally, the Eastern Interregional Investigative Department of Transport of the Russian Investigative Committee is conducting an investigation based on Article 263 of the Russian Criminal Code (violation of safety rules for air transport operations).