DUSHANBE, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- All climbers and crew on board a helicopter that made a "hard landing" in the mountains of Tajikistan are alive, the country's emergency service said Monday, after earlier reports that the passengers were feared to have been killed.

Thirteen climbers and three crew members on board an Mi-8 were lost in a mountainous region after their helicopter made an emergency landing on Sunday at around 1130 GMT. Initial reports said they were feared to have died.

"Rescuers are on their way to help them," the emergency committee said, according to Russian news service Sputnik.

The climbers were returning from an expedition to Ismoil Somoni Mountain, the highest peak in Tajikistan.

Cover image: Xinhua