A helicopter carrying 16 tourists and crew on a sightseeing trip in Russia’s far east crashed into a lake on Thursday, leaving eight people including a child feared dead and two others in serious condition.
The Mi-8 helicopter crash-landed into the icy waters of Kuril Lake in the mountainous Kamchatka peninsula in poor visibility and sank, local authorities said.
Staff of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve dispatched boats to the crash site and saved eight people, two of whom are now in intensive care with various injuries.
Survivors praised wildlife inspectors for coming to their rescue in a matter of minutes. “This situation is close to a miracle,” said governor Vladimir Solodov. –AFP
