Rescuers are continuing their efforts to locate survivors after a Mil Mi-8 crashed on 2 July in Russia's eastern Yakutia region with three crew members and 25 passengers on board. Nineteen of those on board are thought to have died in the accident.

Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations is coordinating the search using five ground teams and several air assets including five helicopters from the ministry and a further three aircraft.

However, the rescue effort is being hampered by difficult terrain and poor meteorological conditions including low cloud and fog, the ministry says.

The country's Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) identified the crashed helicopter, operated by Polar Airlines, as bearing the registration RA-22657, a 1980-built airframe.

MAK says the accident site was 36nm (67km) from Deputatski and that 19 people were killed in the incident in which the airframe was destroyed.

Further search and rescue staff are being deployed to the region using a pair of Antonov An-74s belonging to the Emergencies Ministry and a An-26 operated by Polar Airlines.

Flightglobal's Ascend Online database states that the crash occurred after the helicopter struck high ground in poor visibility at around 10:50 local time while performing a flight from Deputatski to Kazach'e.

Source: Flight International