A Russian helicopter with 22 people on board has gone missing near a volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the country's Far East.

The Mi-8T helicopter had 19 passengers and three crew members on board before it disappeared today, local governor Vladimir Solodov said.

The helicopter took off from a place near the Vackazec volcano in the region and traveled to the village of Nikolajevka.

In the Kamchatka region, where the helicopter was flying, there was low visibility, rain and fog. Operations said the crew did not report any malfunctions.

After the helicopter disappeared, a helicopter and a ground rescue team were sent to search. They are searching the area along the Bistraja river valley over which the helicopter was supposed to fly. Local authorities announced that the search will continue through the night.