18 killed in Russian copter crash

MOSCOW: Eighteen people were killed in a helicopter crash in the Krasnoyarsk region in Siberia yesterday, the aviation watchdog and emergency services said.

The passengers, workers heading to an oil-pumping station, and three crew members died when the Russian-made Mi-8 aircraft knocked into the cargo of an adjacent helicopter as both were completing take-off, watchdog Rosaviatsia said.

The incident occurred in the Vankor Field area in eastern Siberia at 0200 GMT. Vankor is the region’s largest oil field, operated by oil company Rosneft.

“A Mi-8 helicopter, which was carrying external suspended cargo and no passengers completed take-off first. Second to take off was a Mi-8 helicopter carrying passengers,” the watchdog said.

“After take-off, according to early reports, the Mi-8 carrying passengers knocked into the external cargo of the other helicopter, for reasons unknown. As a result it fell, broke apart and caught fire,” the watchdog said.