Zero visibility impedes search for An-12 plane in Kolyma.

MAGADAN, August 10 (Itar-Tass) - The search operation for the missing
Antonov An-12 plane is impeded by almost zero visibility. The Mi-8
helicopter that on Wednesday morning flew from the Omsukchan settlement
has found nothing and returned to the base, head of the Omsukchan district
Oleg Yegorkin told Itar-Tass by telephone.
Yegorkingmade a supposition that the plane could have made an
emergency landing about 50 kilometres from the Julietta gold mine that is
located in the Omsukchan district. The mine area is mountainous, but there
are clivages between the hills.
The search and rescue operation on Wednesday involves two helicopters
Mi-8, the Be-200 plane and other equipment - a total of 21 vehicles. Over
a hundred people are making their way on surface transport to the area
where the plane could be. But the rains in the Omsukchan district have
resulted in a sharp water level rise in the rivers, which creates
additional obstacles to the rescuers conducting a ground search operation.
The Antonov An-12 of the Khabarovsk-based Avis-Amur airline on August
9 was flying from Komsomolsk-on-Amur to the Chukchi village of Keperveyem.
After refuelling and taking off in Magadan, the commander of the aircraft
at 16:39, local time (07:39 MSK) reported to air traffic controllers that
the plane had a fuel leak and fire in the engine in the area of the
Julietta gold mine in the Omsukchan district of the Magadan region. After
some time, communication with the crew was lost, and the aircraft
disappeared from radar screens.
Shortly after the supposed crash, an emergency beacon of the An-12
transmitted a signal that was received by satellites, but then the signal
disappeared. The search and rescue operation was complicated by low clouds
and rain. Rescuers failed to find the liner before dark. The gold mine is
located approximately 300 kilometres from the Omsukchan village.