VLADIVOSTOK, July 16, (Xinhua): All five people on board a Mi-8 helicopter that went missing in Russia's Khabarovsk Territory have been confirmed dead, emergency authorities said Wednesday. "Rescuers from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, together with investigators, will examine the crash site, the helicopter wreckage, and search for the flight recorders to determine the cause of the accident," said the ministry.

The five victims included three crew members and two technical specialists. The wreckage was discovered on a forested, rocky mountainside near Cape Gadikan, approximately 130 km from the settlement of Okhotsk, making access difficult, TASS news agency reported. The Mi-8 helicopter, operated by the private aviation company APK Vzlet LLC, was flying from Okhotsk to Magadan on Monday. The crew failed to make contact at the scheduled time, and the emergency locator beacon did not activate, said the report.