5 dead in Russian volcano climb

MOSCOW (AP) — Five people climbing Eurasia’s tallest active volcano have died in an accident and rescuers are trying to extract two other injured climbers, Russian news reports said Saturday.

The climbers were trying to ascend to the top of the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano, when the accident occurred about 500 meters below the 4,750-meter (15,884-foot) summit, the reports cited the prosecutor’s office of the Kamchatka region as saying.

All the climbers were Russians, the reports said. Details of the accident were not immediately known.

The Kamchatka peninsula in Russia’s far northeast is noted for its array of active and dormant volcanos, hot springs and abundant wildlife.