Russian authorities revealed on Saturday, August 31, 2024, that a helicopter carrying a crew of three and 19 passengers has gone missing over the Kamchatka Peninsula in the country's far east.

According to the Interfax news agency, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations in Moscow reported that the Mi-8T helicopter took off from a base near the Vachkazhets volcano and lost contact with air traffic control at the scheduled time of 0400 GMT.

The ministry stated that dense fog in the area is hindering search and rescue operations.

Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov, in a video message posted on Telegram, confirmed that "an Mi-8 helicopter (...) disappeared from radar, carrying 22 people, including 19 passengers and three crew members."

He added, "A flight over the area was conducted, but unfortunately, it yielded no results" due to poor visibility.

Russian authorities have dispatched a group of rescuers and two helicopters to the crash site in the volcanic Kamchatka Peninsula. The Mi-8 is a Soviet-made military helicopter.

The Kamchatka Peninsula, which is nine hours ahead of Moscow, is a popular tourist destination known for its pristine rivers, hot springs, and volcanoes.

Aircraft and helicopter accidents are common in Russia's far east, particularly in remote areas.

In August 2021, an Mi-8 helicopter carrying 16 people, including 13 tourists, crashed into a Kamchatka lake due to poor visibility. The accident resulted in eight fatalities.

In July of the same year, a commercial plane carrying 22 passengers and six crew members crashed while preparing to land in Kamchatka. All those on board perished.