According to the emergencies ministry on Saturday, the Mi-8T helicopter took off from a site close to the Vachkazhets volcano in the Kamchatka peninsula.

This part of the peninsula is well-liked by travelers because of its breathtaking scenery and active volcanoes.

Shortly after takeoff, the helicopter vanished from radar, according to officials, and their efforts to rescue the victims are being hampered by dense fog.

The aircraft, which belonged to Vityaz-Aero, was conducting an excursion to the volcano. The Mi-8 helicopter, created during the Soviet era, is still in high demand and is utilized extensively in Russia.

Around 16:15 (04:15 GMT), it vanished off radar, and crew members were unable to get in touch, according to the Kamchatka governor. The state-owned news service Tass was informed by a source in the emergency ministry that there were no issues reported by the crew.

According to Vladimir Solodov, there were three crew members and 19 passengers on board.

Even though there was low visibility, the aircraft search went on into the night.

Other others have joined the search on foot, following the path that the helicopter was meant to take down the Bystraya River valley.

Popular among tourists is the hilly Kamchatka peninsula, which is located more than 6,000 km (3,730 miles) east of Moscow.

However, there have been other aviation disasters over the years, including two in the first two months of 2021.