4 Dead in Dagestan Helicopter Crash
Four people were killed and three others injured when a private helicopter crashed in Russia’s North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, authorities said Friday.
The helicopter was flying from one town in Dagestan to another when it went down near the coast of the Caspian Sea, according to a statement by the Emergency Situations Ministry.
The aircraft struck an unoccupied private house, which was destroyed in the resulting fire, the state-run news agency TASS cited emergency service sources as saying.
Emergency crews have since contained the blaze.
TASS sources identified the aircraft as the Ka-226 transport helicopter operated by the Kizlyar Electromechanical Plant and which was said not to be carrying tourists, contrary to earlier reports.
Russian investigators have opened a criminal case into the crash on charges of violating aviation safety rules.
Authorities are examining technical failure as a potential cause, while other explanations are also being considered.
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