Russia in mourning as 22 bodies found after Mi-8 helicopter crash in Kamchatka

Vladivostok, Sep 2 : The bodies of all 22 victims killed in the Mi-8 helicopter crash in Russia's Kamchatka region have been found, the local government officials revealed on Saturday afternoon.

"In half an hour, the Russian Emergencies Ministry helicopter will pick up the rescuers from the crash site of the Mi-8 Vityaz-Aero aircraft. The bodies of the victims have been found and handed over to the forensic medical examination authorities. The search and rescue operation has been completed," the Minister of Emergency Situations of Kamchatka Krai, Sergei Lebedev posted on social media.

Lebedev said that a hotline with psychological assistance is in operation for families and friends of the victims.

"Once again, I thank everyone who took part in the search and rescue operation - rescuers, pilots, volunteers, rangers, all-terrain vehicle drivers. Thank you, colleagues. Kamchatka is a united and friendly family. And today there is grief in our family. My sincere condolences to the relatives of the victims. I share the bitterness of loss," the minister wrote.

Kamchatka Krai Governor Vladimir Solodov has also declared September 3 a day of mourning in memory of the crash victims.

Meanwhile, citizens of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City, the administrative centre of Kamchatka Krai, continue to lay flowers at an impromptu memorial to those killed in the plane crash on August 31.

"A terrible tragedy has taken the lives of young, active people who were passionate about the nature of Kamchatka. Each life is an irreparable loss that echoes with pain in the hearts of the residents of both the city and the entire region. A misfortune that will be impossible to forget. Relatives, loved ones, friends and colleagues need strength to survive this terrible grief. We mourn together with you," said the city head Konstantin Bryzgin.

On August 31, a helicopter carrying 22 people went missing near the Vachkazhets volcano in the Russian Far East's Kamchatka region.

The Mi-8T helicopter, operated by Vityaz-Aero airline, lost communication shortly after takeoff on Saturday morning.

The Federal Air Transport Agency stated that the helicopter failed to respond to a scheduled call at around 7:15 am, Moscow time, on Saturday.

The communication with the helicopter, however, was lost shortly after it picked up the tourists. According to the emergency services, the Mi-8T helicopter disappeared from radar almost immediately after takeoff, though the crew did not report any issues prior to the loss of contact.

The helicopter was carrying 19 passengers and three crew members.

Local media reports also suggest that low visibility was registered by the Kamchatka Hydrometeorological Centre in the area of Nikolaevka airport, close to where contact with the helicopter was lost.

The wreckage of the missing helicopter, located at an altitude of 900 metres near the place where the pilots last contacted each other, was found the next day by the search teams from the air.

In August 2021, another Mi-8 helicopter crashed into a lake in Kamchatka when there was poor visibility, leading to the death of eight people out of 16 on board.