A Magadan region-bound Mi-8 helicopter with 20 onboard crashed, with reports indicating at least two people have died.
The Far Eastern Transport Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation and various Russian Telegram channels have confirmed the incident, with the prosecutor's office stating, "Preliminary data suggests an engine malfunction as the incident's cause."
The crash occurred at 11:05 a.m. local time, 75 km away from Evensk in the North-Evensky district of the Magadan region.
Operated by "Dalnyorechensk Avia," the Mi-8 was on a journey from Kvartsovy airfield to Omsukchan airport, carrying workers from a gold ore deposit. The aircraft had 20 individuals aboard, including three crew members.
Reports from Russian Telegram channels have mentioned one or two fatalities.
Search and rescue efforts are in progress.
This incident underscores a troubling trend in Russian aviation accidents following sanctions imposed due to its conflict with Ukraine, attributed to a shortage of essential aviation parts previously imported from the West.
In related news, a Mi-8 helicopter had crashed in Karelia a month prior, and an IL-76 aircraft crashed on March 12 near the "North" military airfield in the Ivanovo region, with eight crew members and seven passengers aboard.
