Rescuers have recovered 17 bodies from the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed in Russia’s remote Kamchatka peninsula on Saturday. The Mi-8 helicopter, carrying 19 tourists and 3 crew members, disappeared shortly after takeoff.
Kamchatka, a popular destination for adventure tourism, is known for its stunning landscapes, active volcanoes, and pristine wilderness.
The helicopter’s remains were located on Sunday morning in a hilly area at an altitude of 900 meters, according to Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov. Aerial footage released by the emergency situations ministry showed the wreckage scattered across a slope near the top of a wooded hill.
The ministry confirmed that the helicopter was found close to the point where it lost radar contact. Ivan Lemikhov, a ministry official, stated that 17 bodies have been recovered so far and the search operation has been temporarily halted until daybreak.
The Mi-8, a Soviet-designed military helicopter, is widely used for transportation in Russia. The crashed helicopter belonged to Vityaz-aero, a Kamchatka-based company that organizes tourist flights.
Accidents involving aircraft are relatively common in Russia’s far east, due to the region’s vast and sparsely populated terrain. In August 2021, a Mi-8 helicopter crashed into a lake in Kamchatka, resulting in the deaths of eight people. The previous July, a plane crash occurred during landing on the peninsula, claiming the lives of all 28 people on board.
