Mi-8 helicopter crash in East Siberia killed 15 people and put 10 others in intensive care

TASS
Thu, 26 Nov 2015 15:04 UTC

© Reuters/Russia's Emergencies Ministry in Krasnoyarsk region/Handout

A view shows the site of a Mi-8 helicopter crash near the town of Igarka in Krasnoyarsk region, Russia, November 26, 2015.

According to the latest data, fifteen people have been killed and 10 others are in intensive care after the Mi-8 helicopter crashed in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in Eastern Siberia, a senior aide to the local transport prosecutor has said.

"At the moment, 15 people have been killed and 10 people are in intensive care, one is being retrieved from the destroyed fuselage of the helicopter," Oksana Gorbunova told TASS.

It was earlier reported that twelve people were believed to be dead after the crash.

The helicopter was carrying 25 people, including 22 passengers and three crew members. "The helicopter has fallen in the Yenisei [river] and is lying on the ice. People are being evacuated," local police told TASS.

The helicopter was en route from Igarka to an oil production facility in Krasny Selkub. The emergencies ministry said the helicopter made a hard landing in a difficult access area some 2 kilometers from the airport of Igarka and its fuselage was destroyed without catching fire.

Comment: The Moscow Times is also reporting:

An investigation has been opened into the cause of the crash and numerous explanations have been presented in the Russian media.

The helicopter was tested pre-flight and was not defective, the Ministry of Emergency Situations said. "All the helicopter mechanisms were in good condition. The weather conditions were also favorable, a ministry spokesman said, Interfax reported.