NEW DELHI: A Russian Mi-8T helicopter, carrying 22 people, including three crew members and 19 passengers, went missing on Saturday in the Kamchatka Peninsula, located in the Far East region.
Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency said that the helicopter departed from a base near the Vachkazhets volcano in the Kamchatka region, according to the Interfax news agency.
Drizzle and fog were reported in the area where the Russian helicopter went missing and the crew was expected to make contact at a predetermined time around 07:15 (Moscow time), but failed to do so.
Rescuers are currently conducting a search for the missing helicopter, meanwhile a probe committee has begun investigating the incident for potential violations of traffic safety rules and air transport operations.
The Mi-8, a twin-engine helicopter designed in the 1960s, is widely used in Russia and other countries, though it has a history of frequent crashes.
Earlier this year, in January, four people survived the crash of a Russian charter plane en route to Moscow in northern Afghanistan.
Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency said that the helicopter departed from a base near the Vachkazhets volcano in the Kamchatka region, according to the Interfax news agency.
Drizzle and fog were reported in the area where the Russian helicopter went missing and the crew was expected to make contact at a predetermined time around 07:15 (Moscow time), but failed to do so.
Rescuers are currently conducting a search for the missing helicopter, meanwhile a probe committee has begun investigating the incident for potential violations of traffic safety rules and air transport operations.
The Mi-8, a twin-engine helicopter designed in the 1960s, is widely used in Russia and other countries, though it has a history of frequent crashes.
Earlier this year, in January, four people survived the crash of a Russian charter plane en route to Moscow in northern Afghanistan.
(With input from agencies)
Source : Times of India
