MOSCOW. Nov 29 (Interfax-AVN) - Rescuers have found a missing MI-8 Hip helicopter in the Khabarovsk territory. Preliminary reports say three crewmembers are alive.
"Another MI-8 detected the missing helicopter near Evoron Lake at 3:53 p.m. Moscow time (1153 GMT)," an official of the Civil Defense and Emergencies Ministry press service told Interfax.
"According to preliminary information, the three crewmembers are alive. Two bonfires were seen from the air," he said.
He said the rescue helicopter landed near the missing MI-8 and would bring the crew to Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
The missing helicopter of the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association was patrolling forests. It came from the Zemgi airfield to the Evoron airfield, 100 kilometers northwest of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, at 3:39 a.m. Moscow time (2339 GMT). The helicopter was due to depart for Berezovaya at 5:10 a.m. Moscow time (0110 GMT), but contact with it was lost.