PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, September 2. /TASS/. The bodies of all those killed in a Mi-8 helicopter crash in Russia’s Far Eastern region of Kamchatka have been recovered, regional Emergencies Minister Sergey Lebedev said.
"In half an hour, an Emergencies Ministry helicopter will pick rescuers up from the crash site of the Mi-8 helicopter belonging to the Vityaz-Aero airline. The bodies of those killed have been recovered and handed over to forensics experts. The search and rescue operation is over," he wrote on the VKontakte social media platform. The minister thanked the rescuers for their work and expressed condolences to the families and friends of those killed in the crash.
The debris of the helicopter, which disappeared from radars on August 31, was found in the Vachkazhets mountain range area on September 1. There were 19 passengers and three crew members aboard the helicopter. Kamchatka has declared a day of mourning on September 3.