BAKU, February 11 (RIA Novosti) - All three crewmembers of a Mi-17 Hip helicopter were killed on Monday when it crashed into the Caspian Sea, the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry said.

The body of one crewmember has been recovered and the search for the other two continues, the ministry said.

The Mi-17, which belonged to the Azerbaijani Air Force and was used for medical evacuation, disappeared from the radar screens at 10:30 a.m. local time (6:30 a.m. GMT), the ministry said.

The helicopter crashed into the sea about 300 meters (984 feet) away from the coastline. According to eyewitness accounts, the crash was accompanied by an explosion, the ARA news agency reported.

The Mi-17, which can be used both for civilian and military purposes, can carry up to 24 passengers, or up to 12 beds in its medevac configuration.