Helicopter crash in Russian Siberia: 4 killed, 8 injured

A helicopter crashed in Russia's northern Siberian region Monday, killing four people and injuring eight, an official said. The Mi-8 was carrying five crew and seven passengers when it went down around 4:40 p.m. (1240GMT) as it was traveling to the village of Russkoye Ustiye in the vast Siberian region of Yakutia, federal emergency official Yulia Stadnikova said.

Photo: Helicopter crash in Russian Siberia: 4 killed, 8 injured

The area is about 4,800 kilometers (3,000 miles) east of Moscow. The victims who died were three crew members and one passenger, Stadnikova said. The injured were hospitalized.

The helicopter is owned by the company "Polar Aviation," authorities said. Investigators were traveling to the site to determine the cause of the crash. The Mi-8 is a workhorse helicopter used widely in Russian civilian aviation as well as by the military. They crash frequently in accidents often blamed on poor maintenance and excessive age, reports the AP.

N.U.