Moscow, August 31: Rescuers are searching for a helicopter that went missing in Russia's far east on Saturday with 22 people on board. The Mi-8 helicopter took off close to the Vachkazhets volcano in the Kamchatka region, but did not arrive at its destination as scheduled, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency said in a statement.

It said it believed that 19 passengers and three crew members were on board.

The Mi-8 is a two-engine helicopter designed in the 1960s. Russia: Helicopter With 4 on Board Goes Missing in Yakutia, Search and Rescue Efforts On.

It is widely used in Russia, where crashes have been frequent, as well as in neighbouring countries and many other nations.