MOSCOW (AP) — Russian emergency officials said Monday they had recovered the bodies of all 22 people from a helicopter that crashed in Russia's Far East leaving no survivors.
The crash occurred in Kamchatka — a pristine peninsula with numerous volcanoes, known for its rugged beauty and rich wildlife. A Mi-8 helicopter with 19 tourists and three crew members on board, took off close to the Vachkazhets volcano on Saturday and rescuers located the wreckage the following day.
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said, citing emergency officials, that it likely crashed due to poor visibility in bad weather conditions. The local branch of the Investigative Committee, Russia's top law enforcement body, said in a statement Monday that an investigation has been launched into a possible pilot error or a technical malfunction.
The Mi-8 is a two-engine helicopter designed in the 1960s. It is widely used in Russia, where crashes have been frequent, as well as in neighboring countries and many other nations.
Russian media described the flight operator Vityaz-Aero as one of the largest carriers in the Kamchatka region. After a helicopter crash in 2021, in which eight people were killed, authorities banned the company from transporting passengers pending an investigation into a possible violation of flight safety rules.
Vityaz-Aero is the biggest of several local carriers that fly tourists to the Kronotsky reserve, a top attraction that includes Russia’s only geyser basin.
In this photo taken from video released by Investigative Committee of Russia on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, A Mi-8 helicopter flies over as Russian Investigative Committee employees work at the crash site of the Mi-8 helicopter that was carrying 19 passengers and three crew members on board in Kamchatka region of Russia's Far East. (Investigative Committee of Russia via AP)
In this photo taken from video released by Investigative Committee of Russia on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, A Russian Investigative Committee employee works at the crash site of the Mi-8 helicopter that was carrying 19 passengers and three crew members on board in Kamchatka region of Russia's Far East. (Investigative Committee of Russia via AP)
COVENTRY, Vt. (AP) — A U.S. Border Patrol agent was killed Monday in northern Vermont south of the Canadian border, authorities said.
The Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that the agent was killed in the line of duty, although it did not provide details.
Vermont State Police said the shooting happened Monday afternoon on Interstate 91 in Coventry, about 20 miles (32 km) from the Canadian border. State police officers were assisting federal authorities including the FBI and Homeland Security.
A portion of the highway was closed in both directions for about two hours afterward. The northbound lane reopened just after 5 p.m.
Coventry is close to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Newport Station, part of the Swanton Sector, which encompasses Vermont and parts of New York and New Hampshire. The area includes 295 miles (475 kilometers) of international boundary with Canada.
HOLD This image taken from video provided by WCAX shows police cars closing off a road after a shooting involving a U.S. Border Patrol agent on Interstate 91 near Coventry, Vt., Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (WCAX via AP)
Cars are backed up at the US-Canada border in Stanstead, Quebec, after a shooting involving a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Coventry, Vt., Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Chloe Jones)
Cars are backed up at the US-Canada border in Stanstead, Quebec, after a shooting involving a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Coventry, Vt., Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Chloe Jones)