Helicopter crashes in Russia's Kamchatka

MOSCOW  -- A Mi-8 helicopter carrying three crew members and 13 tourists crashed in Russia's Kamchatka Territory, and eight of the people on board survived the accident, local media reported early Thursday.

The rest are presumed to be missing and "are being looked for," while the cause of the crash remains unknown, Sputnik quoted Russia's emergencies services as saying.

"At 00:50 on August 12, 2021 (2150 GMT on Wednesday), information was received about the crash landing of a Mi-8 helicopter of the Vityaz-Aero airline in the area of the Kuril Lake of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve," the Russian Emergencies Ministry said in a statement.

Kamchatka's Governor Vladimir Solodov had departed for the crash site, accompanied by medics and emergencies service staffers, Sputnik reported.