Eight dead, several hospitalised after trees crash into campsite during 'hurricane' in Russia

The emergencies ministry said that nearly 100 rescuers were clearing debris at a campsite near Lake Yalchik.

Eight people died and another 10 were hospitalised in Russia when trees crashed into a campsite during a severe storm described as a "hurricane", authorities said on Sunday.

Several hundred people camped on the shores of Lake Yalchik when the storm struck, the emergencies ministry said. (Twitter)

"According to the latest information, eight people died in Mari El due to the hurricane that took place the day before," said Yevgeny Maslov, mayor of the city of Yoshkar-Ola.

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Mari El is a Russian region located along the northern bank of the Volga River, and Yoshkar-Ola is its largest city.

The emergencies ministry said that nearly 100 rescuers were clearing debris at a campsite near Lake Yalchik, adding that overall 27 people had received injuries.

"Vacationers did not take into account the weather forecast," the ministry said on messaging app Telegram.

Several hundred people camped on the shores of Lake Yalchik when the storm struck, the emergencies ministry added.