NOVOSIBIRSK, June 2 (RIA Novosti) - The death toll in an Mi-8 helicopter crash in Siberia has risen to four people after one of seven injured passengers died in a local hospital, a local administration official said Friday.
According to various sources, three crewmembers and 16-18 passengers were on board the helicopter when it crashed near the Western Siberian town of Kemerovo at 5.45 GMT.
The commander of the Siberian military district, Vladimir Vlasko, said the Interior Ministry Mi-8 was participating in a planned exercise but had not been carrying paratroopers, as earlier reports suggested.
A special team of investigators has been dispatched from the military prosecutor's office of the Kemerovo garrison to establish the causes of the crash.
The Mi-8 is a Russian-made multi-purpose transport helicopter similar to French Puma. It has a crew of three and can carry up to 28 passengers.
