(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-09-12 10:24

A military helicopter carrying a team of 12 rescuers has failed in its first attempt to locate six missing Russian tourists in Hotan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The helicopter flew about 500 km from the upper reaches to the lower reaches of the Yurungkax River, where the six Russians are believed to have gone missing, on Tuesday afternoon, said an official with the Hotan rescue headquarters.

The helicopter arrived in Hotan on Monday after its arrival was delayed by one day due to poor weather conditions.

Chinese police and local herdsmen are still searching in Hotan, nine days after the Russian tourists failed to show up to meet their interpreter.

A special eight-member search team has been sent to the spot in Yutian County where the group began canoeing on the Yurungkax River.

Russia has sent an IL-76 cargo plane, which arrived in Urumqi, the regional capital, on Tuesday morning, to help search for the missing tourists.

Zhang Hong, a local Russian-language interpreter who reported them missing, said: "The Russians didn't take any satellite phones with them, and the reason they didn't show up is still not clear."

"They are a group of experienced canoeists, and have canoed in dangerous waters in many other countries," said Zhang.

But the Yurungkax River flows through mountain ranges that are 5,000 to 6,000 meters above sea level. The area is prone to mudslides and hailstorms.