Rescuers in the Russian far-east have found no survivors in the wreckage of a

helicopter that disappeared while carrying 22 people, and most of them tourists.

This is coming after the aircraft went missing on Saturday after taking off from a

base near the Vachkazhets volcano in the Kamchatka peninsula, while, officials

said on Sunday that 17 bodies had been found so far.

That area, a popular tourist destination, is famous for its active volcanoes, and

the cause of the crash in unclear, and officials said, such accidents are relatively

frequent in Russia's far-east, which is sparsely populated and suffers harsh

weather.

Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said, the wreckage was found on Sunday

morning in a hilly area, and the footage posted to the messaging app by Russia's

emergencies ministry showing the helicopter debris lying near a slope close to a

large wooded hill.

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

aircraft was owned by Vityaz-Aero, a Kamchatka-based company that organizes

flights for tourists, while, the designed during the Soviet-era, the Mi-8 helicopter is

still widely used in Russia.