Russian helicopter crashes in Siberia, killing 4 people on board and injuring 10

MOSCOW –

A helicopter crashed in the Siberia region of Russia on Thursday, killing four of the people on board and injuring 10, Russian emergency officials reported.

The Mi-8 helicopter caught fire as it was landing in southern Siberia’s Altai Republic and brushed against a power line, the Altai branch of the Russian Emergency Ministry said. It released a photo showing the chopper’s wreckage.

The branch’s initial statement said the helicopter carried 13 people and six were killed and seven were injured. Officials revised the numbers later in the day, saying a total of 16 people were on board and four died.

It turned out two people who were believed dead had left the crash site on their own and went to the nearest hospital, an updated statement said.

Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing the country’s civilian aviation regulator Rosaviatsia, that the helicopter belonged to a private company and was carrying a group of tourists.

The Mi-8 is a two-engine helicopter designed in the 1960s. It is used in Russia, where crashes have been frequent, as well as in neighboring countries and many other nations.