Fire was a probable cause of Mi-6 crash

Investigation of a Mi-6 Russian helicopter crash near the Eclipse frontier post still continues. The helicopter was on a geological expedition when it disappeared on July 10. Rescuers combed the area for the helicopter for a week, and finally the wreckage was found 110 kilometers of the Eclipse frontier post on July 18. All passengers and the crew are declared dead.

Deputy Director of the Krasnoyarsk regional administration central department for emergency situations, Oleg Berestevich reports with reference to a pilot from a Mi-8 helicopter that discovered the wreckage, Mi-6 caught fire in the air and fell from the height of about 200 meters. Oleg Berestevich also said that bodies of the dead would be sent to the Dikson airport for identification. Only several people of the dead can be identified by sight, the rest are violently burnt, a special expertise is required to identify them. When the expertise is over, places for burial of the dead will be determined. All passengers and crew members lived in Norilsk, however, the relatives will determine burial places.

Airborne recorders of the helicopter were found the day before, they proved to be in good condition. Today the “black boxes” will be sent to Dikson where a place for the deciphering is to be determined. Friday is declared a mourning day in Taimyr to honor memory of the people perished in the Mi-6 helicopter crash. A special session with participation of Presidential envoy to the Siberian Federal district Leonid Drachevsky and Taimyr governor Alexander Khloponin will be held in Norilsk today, aid to families of the dead is to be on the agenda.

A governmental commission for investigation of the Mi-6 crash has been already created.

An EMERCOM spokesman Viktor Beltsov told RIA Novosti, the commission consisting of the Transport Ministry and Intergovernmental Aviation Committee members is to leave for the crash site Friday early. The commission will take the “black boxes” for deciphering; forensic experts will also arrive to Dikson for an expertise of the dead. PRAVDA.Ru

Photo by RTR-Vesti

Translated by Maria Gousseva

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