17 bodies found after Russian tourist helicopter crash

Rescuers in the Russian far-east have found no survivors in the wreckage of a helicopter that disappeared while carrying 22 people - most of them tourists.

The aircraft went missing on Saturday after taking off from a base near the Vachkazhets volcano in the Kamchatka peninsula. Officials said on Sunday that 17 bodies had been found so far.

That area, a popular tourist destination, is famous for its active volcanoes. The cause of the crash in unclear.

Such accidents are relatively frequent in Russia's far-east, which is sparsely populated and suffers harsh weather. Three years ago eight people were killed when a tourist helicopter crashed into a lake in Kamchatka.

The Mi-8T helicopter that disappeared from radar on Saturday was carrying 19 tourists and three crew.

The wreckage was found on Sunday morning in a hilly area, Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said on Telegram.

Footage posted to the messaging app by Russia's emergencies ministry showed helicopter debris lying near a slope close to a large wooded hill. Officials said the wreckage was found near the location where the helicopter went off radar.

An emergency ministry official, Ivan Lemikhov, said17 bodies had been found so far and searches for those still missing had been paused, slated to resume at daybreak on Monday.

Russia's Interfax news agency reported that pilot error, possibly caused by fog, was the main theory regarding the cause of the crash.

Earlier, earlier officials said that thick fog was hampering rescuers' efforts.

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

Designed during the Soviet-era, the Mi-8 helicopter is still widely used in Russia.