Russian Helicopter with 22 Onboard Mysteriously Disappears, Feared Crashed

A Mi-8T helicopter carrying 22 people has mysteriously vanished in Russia. According to Russian news agency TASS, the helicopter, operated by Vityaz-Aero, lost contact over Kamchatka at 7:15 AM local time. The aircraft had departed from the Vachkazhets volcano area en route to the village of Nikolaevka, approximately 25 km away.

The helicopter was carrying 19 passengers and 3 crew members. Search efforts have so far yielded no trace of the missing aircraft. Both a separate airline and a Mi-8 helicopter from the Russian Emergency Ministry, along with a rescue team, are involved in the search.

A committee has been established to investigate the disappearance, focusing on potential violations of traffic safety and air transport regulations. Drizzle and fog were reported in the area where the helicopter went missing, raising concerns that it may have crashed.

Earlier this year, a Moscow-bound charter plane crashed in northern Afghanistan, but all onboard survived. Russian aviation officials confirmed that the plane, a chartered ambulance, had departed from Utapao airport in Thailand.