The debris of the missing Mi-8 helicopter of the Russian Emergencies Situations Ministry was found in Lake Onega in Russia's Karelia Republic, Artur Parfenchikov, the head of the Karelia Republic, said on Feb. 5.
The helicopter went missing on Feb. 4 near the village of Derevyannoe in Karelia's Prionezhsky District while carrying out a training flight.
After the helicopter failed to reach its destination at the appointed time, regional authorities launched a rescue operation reportedly involving over 140 personnel and 33 pieces of equipment.
According to Parfenchikov, a crack in the ice with open water and part of a helicopter with the insignia of the Emergencies Situations Ministry were found 10 kilometers from the village of Derevyannoe.
Parfenchikov added that the three crew had not been found. According to the Russian state-owned news agency TASS, the official first reported their death but later changed his statement.
Russian authorities told TASS that a possible cause of the incident was ice that appeared on the helicopter, causing a malfunction in the engine.
The Karelia Republic lies in Russia's northeast at the borders with Finland.
Nate Ostiller
(Updated: )
