Russia: Several bodies found in Kuril lake near crashed helicopter

Several bodies of dead tourists have been found in the Kuril Lake, Russia's Kamchatka Territory, near the crashed Mi-8 helicopter, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said on Saturday.

The aircraft crashed into the Kuril Lake on Thursday and currently lies at a depth of 110 meters (360 feet). It was carrying three crew members and 13 passengers, including a child. Eight people were rescued, four of them were unharmed.

"Several bodies of missing tourists have been found near the helicopter's body. The issue of raising them to the surface is being worked out," the ministry said.

The search operation is underway, the ministry added.

According to the Russian Investigative Committee, the likely causes of the accident were either bad weather conditions, or a pilot's mistake, or a technical malfunction. (ANI/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )