17 bodies found, 5 missing after helicopter crashes in Russia

After a helicopter carrying 22 people on board went missing in Russia's Far East on Saturday, the rescuers found 17 bodies on Sunday, and no survivors were found in the wreckage of the aircraft.

The Mi-8 helicopter went missing on Saturday after taking off from a base near the Vachkazhets volcano in the Kamchatka peninsula.

The Federal Air Transport Agency, in a statement, said that the Mi-8 helicopter took off close to the Vachkazhets volcano in the Kamchatka region, but did not arrive at its destination as scheduled.

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They further said that 19 passengers and three crew members were on board the helicopter.

Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said that the wreckage of the helicopter was found on Sunday morning in a hilly area.

The cause of the crash is still unknown.

Search to continue on Monday

An emergency ministry official, Ivan Lemikhov, said 17 bodies had been found so far and searches for the five people still missing had been paused, slated to resume at daybreak on Monday.

Reportedly, such incidents happen quite frequently in Russia's Far East, which suffers from harsh weather.

Watch |Russian helicopter goes missing in Kamchatka Peninsula

Three years ago, eight people were killed when a tourist helicopter crashed into a lake in Kamchatka.

According to Russia's Interfax news agency, a pilot error, possibly caused by fog, was the main reason behind the helicopter crash. However earlier, officials said that thick fog was affecting rescuers' efforts.

The aircraft was owned by Vityaz-Aero, a Kamchatka-based company that organises flights for tourists.

Mi-8 is most commonly used as a transport helicopter, but can also be used as an airborne command post, armed gunship, and reconnaissance platform.It was designed during the Soviet era, however, is still widely used in Russia.

(With inputs from agencies)