Los Angeles, Ramadan 9, 1436, Jun 26, 2015, SPA -- Eight passengers and a pilot were confirmed dead by police after a crash late Thursday near Ella Lake, in the US state of Alaska. Alaska State Police said no recovery efforts would be attempted until Friday due to inclement weather and that the names of the deceased could not be released until family members are notified. According to reports, a helicopter had spotted the plane on a cliff face more than 250 meters above the lake. The eight passengers from Holland America's MS Westerdam cruise ship were sightseeing on the contract flight, operated by Promech Air, which is based in the nearby community of Ketchikan. The Westerdam departed Seattle June 20 for a seven-day cruise through south-eastern Alaska, dpa reported. --SPA 14:51 LOCAL TIME 11:51 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w