On Sunday, rescuers in Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula reported the recovery of 17 bodies from a helicopter crash that had 22 people on board.
The helicopter, which had 19 tourists and 3 crew members, went missing shortly after taking off on Saturday.
Kamchatka, known for its stunning natural landscapes and active volcanoes, is a popular destination for adventure tourism.
Early Sunday, rescue teams located the wreckage in a hilly area at an elevation of 900 meters, according to Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov in a video posted on Telegram.
Aerial footage from Russia’s emergency situations ministry showed debris scattered on a slope near the top of a large wooded hill.
The ministry confirmed that the helicopter was discovered near the spot where it lost contact with radar.
Ivan Lemikhov, a ministry official, reported, “We have currently recovered 17 bodies. The rescue team has set up camp, and the search operations have been paused until daylight.”
The crashed aircraft was a Mi-8, a Soviet-designed military helicopter commonly used for transportation in Russia.
The helicopter was operated by Vityaz-aero, a Kamchatka-based company specializing in tourist flights, according to the emergency’s ministry.
Helicopter and plane accidents are unfortunately common in Russia’s far eastern region, which is sparsely populated and often only accessible by air.
In August 2021, a Mi-8 helicopter with 16 people on board, including 13 tourists, crashed into a lake in Kamchatka due to poor visibility, resulting in eight fatalities.
Earlier that year, a plane crash on the peninsula killed all 28 people aboard.
