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Group of people, probably missing tourists, spotted from air in Primorsky territory

According to preliminary data, the people are in satisfactory condition

VLADIVOSTOK, September 16 (Itar-Tass) —— Pilots of an An-2 private plane have spotted a group of people, presumably tourists missing since September 9, near the river Bikin in the north of Russia’s Far Eastern Primorsky territory, a spokesman for the territorial emergencies administration told Itar-Tass on Friday.

A team of rescuers has been seconded to the area. According to preliminary data, the people are in satisfactory condition.

A group of seven tourist group set out on a rafting trip along the river Bikin on August 19 and was to communicate their whereabouts on September 5 or 6. The seven tourists, residents of the city of Nakhodka, were to reach the settlement of Soboliny on September 9 or 10, at the latest. However, none of them returned up to now, and there was no word about their whereabouts.

Rescuers say the group, which included several old-aged people, set off for the trip unregistered and had no instructors.

Relatives of the missing tourists appealed for help to the local authorities. For three days, local police searched for them but to no avail. On September 13, professional rescuers joined in the search to comb the entire Bikin river basin.