Tourist helicopter crashes into Russian lake

A tourist aircraft carrying 16 people on Thursday crashed into a volcanic lake in Russia’s Far East.

Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said 13 tourists and three crew members were aboard the Mi-8 helicopter when it plunged into the lake.

Nine people were said to be missing while at least seven people survived the crash. According to state news agency RIA-Novosti, two out of the survivors were heavily injured.

According to preliminary information, the aircraft was on route from the village of Nikolayevka to the Kuril Lake and the Khodutka volcano when it crashed, the emergencies ministry said.

The Mi-8 – a medium twin-turbine helicopter – was carrying tourists from Moscow and St Petersburg, Russia’s news agency RIA reported.

The mountainous Kamchatka peninsula – more than 6,000 km (3,730 miles) east of Moscow – is popular among tourists.

Forty rescuers and divers were dispatched to the scene.

The nationalities of the tourists were not immediately listed, but reports said most of them came from Moscow or St. Petersburg.

Germany’s DW News reports a Russian investigation committee that probes air accidents as saying  it is reviewing a potential violation of air safety rules.

It also quoted a director of the helicopter, which was manufactured during the Soviet era 37 years ago, as saying it had recently undergone maintenance and was in good shape.

According to media reports, the local private carrier Vityaz-Aero is half-owned by businessman and member of the regional legislature Igor Redkin.

it recalls that last month, an An-26 twin-engined turboprop — manufactured from 1969-1986 — crashed in Kamchatka, killing all 28 people on board.