STAVROPOL. Feb 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Rescuers have expanded the area of the search for the MI-24 Hind border guard helicopter that is missing in Chechnya, a spokesman for the North Caucasus regional border guard department said on Wednesday.
The helicopter that has been missing since Sunday is now being searched for south and southeast of Khankala, the spokesman told Interfax-Military News Agency.
Eight helicopters, including six of the unified federal troops group in the North Caucasus and two of the border guard air grouping stationed at the Beslan airfield just outside Chechnya, are ready to resume the search, but at the moment they cannot accomplish any missions due to adverse weather conditions. Meanwhile, over 160 rescuers are searching for the helicopter on the ground. The visibility range in the search area does not exceed 100m. Forecasters say that the weather is unlikely to improve until Wednesday afternoon.
According to data provided by the North Caucasus regional border guard department, the helicopter and a MI-8 Hip helicopter operated by the Federal Border Guard Service were caught in bad weather while flying along the Vladikavkaz - Tuskhoroi - Vladikavkaz route on Sunday. The MI-8 landed in Beslan, North Ossetia, while the MI-24 commander told ground control in the last radio exchange that he was at an altitude of 1,500 meters and starting to descend. At a height of 600 meters contact broke off.