MOSCOW, 27 Â November 2015: At least 10 people were killed in a Mi-8 helicopter crash in Russia’s northern Krasnoyarsk region Thursday, the West Siberian Transport Prosecutor’s Office said.
“Latest data showed that 10 people have died in the crash and 15 others have been taken to hospital,” the office said in a statement. Earlier reports said the death toll was 15.
The 15 survivors have been evacuated by snowmobiles and a hovercraft to medical institutions, the statement said.
Russia’s Emergency Situation Ministry confirmed there were altogether 25 people aboard the helicopter, including three crew members and 22 passengers.
The helicopter, en route to an oilfield in the region, crashed near the airport of Igarka and was found lying on the bank of the Yenisey River, the Investigative Committee of Russia said in a statement.
The cause of the accident was unknown. Interfax news agency quoted an unnamed source from emergency services as saying that it could be a technical malfunction. Mi-8 is a Soviet-designed medium twin-turbine transport helicopter. It is among the world’s most-produced helicopters used by more than 50 countries.
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