Russia helicopter crash: sightseeing chopper plunges into volcanic lake with 8 feared dead

Eight people were rescued, two of them are in serious condition, local authorities say

Emergency Situations Ministry workers taking part in the rescue operation at the spot where a Mi-8 helicopter crash-landed into Kuril Lake in the Kronotsky nature reserve on the Kamchatka Peninsula, outside Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (RUSSIAN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS MIN)

A helicopter carrying tourists on a volcano sightseeing trip in Russia has crashed into a lake with eight people feared dead and two others in serious condition.

The group was heading to Khodutka volcano, near the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in the far east of Russia, early on Thursday, when it came crashing down in a nature reserve in Kamchatka peninsula, the local emergency service said.

The Mi-8 helicopter, operated by Vityaz-Aero company, had a total of 16 people people on board, including 13 passengers, all of them tourists.

“Eight people were rescued, two of them are in serious condition,” senior Kamchatka regional government official Alexander Zabolichenko said in a statement.

Unnamed medical sources told TASS that eight people who are yet to be found are feared dead but this has not yet been officially confirmed.

The tourists on board were mainly from Moscow and St Petersburg, state news agency RIA reported, citing a source at the emergency service.

Forty rescuers and divers were dispatched to the scene, according to the authorities. According to rescuers quoted by TASS, the helicopter sank after the crash and was lying at a depth of 100 metres (330 feet) in Lake Kuril.

The Russian Investigation Committee, which handles air accident probes, said it was looking into a potential violation of air safety rules. The airlines company hasn’t issued a statement yet.

The Kamchatka peninsula is a large territory with few inhabitants that is popular with tourists drawn by its dramatic scenery. The area where the crash occurred can only be reached by helicopters. The rescue efforts were also complicated by the fog, RIA Novosti reported.

The area’s quickly changing weather has often made flying harder. Last month, an aircraft from a small local company crashed in the same peninsula, killing 28 people.

Russia also has also had a historically poor reputation for air safety. However, rules have been tightened in recent years.

Additional reporting by agencies