As it was landing and coming close to a power wire, the Mi-8 helicopter in the Altai Republic of southern Siberia caught fire.
Russian emergency personnel stated that a helicopter crash in Siberia on Thursday left six people dead and seven injured.
Siberian helicopter crash
A Mi-8 helicopter in southern Siberia caught fire during landing and scraped into a power wire, according to the Altai Department of Russia’s Emergency Ministry. A statement from the department and an image of the wreckage were posted online.
The helicopter belonged to a private firm and was transporting a party of tourists, according to RIA Novosti, a state-run news agency in Russia, which cited Rosaviatsia, the nation’s regulator of civil aviation.
- Mi-8 helicopter in the Altai Republic fires near a power wire.
- Altai helicopter fires, wreckage visible; Russian Emergency Ministry reports.
- Mi-8 helicopter crash reports contradicting Russia and neighboring countries.
Unknown is the exact number of passengers on board. RIA Novosti reported that there were 12 passengers and 3 crew members on board, whereas the Emergency Ministry said that there were 13.
It was impossible to instantly reconcile the contradictory reports. A two-engine helicopter built in the 1960s is called the Mi-8. It has been widely utilized in Russia, where crashes have been common, as well as in many other countries and its neighbors.
