(Afrosky News) - A helicopter with 16 people on board crashed into a volcanic lake on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's far east early Thursday.
"According to preliminary data, during a hard landing of the helicopter, eight people were killed, the remaining eight were rescued. The helicopter sank," Russia's state news agency TASS reported, citing an emergency services source.
What we know so far
Russia's Emergencies Ministry said 13 tourists and three crew members were aboard the Mi-8 helicopter when it plunged into the lake.
According to the afrosky news agency, RIA-Novosti, two out of the eight survivors were heavily injured.
However, the Interfax news agency cited officials as saying there were a total of 14 tourists on board, adding that nine people, including two pilots, survived the crash.
The nationalities of the tourists were not immediately listed.
The director of the helicopter, which was manufactured during the Soviet era 37 years ago, said it had recently undergone maintenance and was in good shape.
