Ten Germans and Russians were killed when a helicopter carrying snowboarders was hit by an avalanche after landing on a ski slope in the mountainous Kamchatka region, the Emergency Situations Ministry said.
The Mi-8 helicopter, carrying 18 people including tourists from Germany and Belgium, had landed on a ski slope in the far eastern region.
"As of now we think 10 people died, but eight are alive," Emergency Situations Ministry spokeswoman Irina Andrianova said.
She said three Russians and one German citizen were found to be dead when they were dug out of the snow.
"Two Russians and four Germans are still under the snow. There is practically no chance they have survived as the temperature is minus 20 degrees Celsius and the thickness of the snow is 10 to 15 meters," she said.
Two helicopter crew members also were among the dead.
Vesti state television said the avalanche was started by tourists who were traveling downhill.
"The helicopter was destroyed completely, two crew members on board and eight tourists who were on the hillside were killed," it said on its web site.
The Kamchatka Peninsula, noted for its volcanoes and pristine expanses of snowy slopes, is popular among adventure tourists.
(Reuters, AP)