Chechen Air Crash Tolls Confirmed at 14

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, January 28, 2002

Chechen Air Crash Tolls Confirmed at 14

The toll of the crash of a Russian army's Mi-8 helicopter in Chechnya on Sunday has been confirmed as 14, rising from the 11 reported earlier, a senior Russian official said on Sunday evening.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

The toll of the crash of a Russian army's Mi-8 helicopter in Chechnya on Sunday has been confirmed as 14, rising from the 11 reported earlier, a senior Russian official said on Sunday evening.

The aircraft exploded, when preparing for landing, in the air about seven kilometers west of the village of Shelkovskaya, Chechnya's Nadterechny district, killing all 14 people onboard, Tass reported, citing the deputy Russian presidential representative in the southern federal district, Nikolai Britvin.

The crash victims include Deputy Interior Minister, head of the Ministry's Main Department for the Southern Federal District Col. Gen. Mikhail Rudchenko, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Interior Troops Lt. Gen. Nikolai Garidov, first deputy commander of the federal force Col. Yuri Orlenko, representative of the command of the Interior Troops' force in Chechnya Col. Yuri Stepanenko, other high-ranking officers, four bodyguards and three crew members.

Preliminary information showed that the helicopter caught fire in the air and fell down. There is no evidence that the helicopter was shot down by a missile, Britvin said.

"A combined team of the Federal Security Service, the Interior Ministry and prosecutors, who are working on the crash scene, consider all versions of the crash, including the terrorist act. However, there is no evidence to confirm the Mi-8 helicopter was shot down by a missile," Britvin said.

"There are all signs that it has been an accident. Witnesses say that they saw smoke first, then the helicopter caught fire and fell down," he noted.

Chechen Press and Information Minister Konstantin Makeyev told Tass that that the officials "were on a regular working trip from Khankala to Shelkovskaya," both Caucasian cities.

A team of investigators is working on the crash scene. Two bodies of the victims have not been identified.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Putin Reaffirms Determination to Combat Chechen Terrorists

A Chechen Rebel Commander Sentenced to Life in Prison

Russian Govt Slams US for Chechnya Position