19 killed in helicopter crash in Yamal

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ASTANA. KAZINFORM - Mi-8 Helicopter of Skol airline heading from Krasnoyarskiy Krai to the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District was wrecked in Friday evening near Urengoy, a Yamal village. There are 22 passengers onboard and crew members. Only three survived. All the rest were killed. The survivors were hospitalized, RIA Novosti reports.

Falling

Information of disappearance of Mi-8 was reported late at night on October 21. Almost at once it became known that the air craft made hard landing.

"Today at 21:00 local time (19:00 Moscow time) we received information about hard landing of Mi-8 in the Purovsky Region of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area. We reacted with a pre- investigation check", - the representative of the Ural Investigation Department on Transport under Russian Investigation Committee told RIA Novosti.

Later on it became clear that it was not hard or emergency landing, but it was real crash. "The aircraft is destroyed", - was in the press release issued by the regional transport government in the morning of October 22.

Besides, there were two more questions which remained unclear - how many people were onboard and what were the departure and destination points of the helicopter.

The initially reported number was 25 in total - 22 passengers and three crew members, RIA Novosti was informed by the representative of Rosaviation. However later, when information was checked it appeared there were 19 passengers. They were the staff of Rosneft contractor organization of.

As for the second question only the departure point was known - the Suzumsky field in Krasnoyarskiy Krai. From the press release of the Ural Investigation Department on Transport Urengoy village is stated to be the final point of flight. According to Rosneft, the helicopter transported the contractor personnel along Suzumsky field - New Urengoy route. Both villages are located close to each other.

Searching

By nightfall the rescue group reported the coordinates of the incident location.

"Coordinates of the presumable place of the incident are established. At 20:01 (Moscow time) the task force of the Ministry of Emergency Situations departed from New Urengoy to the location. Mi-8 craft with Yamalspas rescue group on board are ready to depart from Tarko-Sal". The weather conditions don't allow to take off at the moment. Airmobile group of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area consisting of 60 people is ready", - the Ministry of Emergency Situations of YNAA reported.

In total, 140 people, 20 pieces of equipment were involved in the search. Together with rescuers four ambulance crews are heading to the place of the crash. It was the dead of night when police and rescuers reached the point.

Victims

In the evening of October 21 RIA Novosti journalist reported "connection with the commander of "eight" established, only three injured".

The picture was changing as the investigation was carried out.

"According to the preliminary information, three or five people who were onboard the aircraft could survive ", - the source reported after midnight.

"According to the preliminary data, 19 people died of multiple injuries on the scene, three were taken to the New Urengoy city hospital", - the Ural investigation department on transport reported in the morning of October 22. Later the Ministry of Emergency Situations of YNAA informed that all bodies are found. The crew is in the death toll.

Versions

Early in the morning of October 22 the investigators on transport informed of the criminal case initiated under the article "violation of safety of traffic and operation of air transport which entailed death of two and more persons by negligence" based on the fact of aircraft crash.

"Three main versions of the crash are considered by the investigation: violation of the rules of operation and safety during flight, failure of the equipment, adverse meteoconditions. None of them is a priority at the moment", - the press release issued by the Uralsk investigation department on transport reads.

Now the officials continue the work at the place of accident examining the fragments, bodies and the adjacent territory.

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