Eight killed in helicopter crash in E Kazakhstan

Eight people were killed in a helicopter crashed in eastern Kazakhstan, a local emergency situations bureau said on Friday.

The wreckage of the Mi-8 helicopter, which went missing on a rescue mission on Thursday afternoon, was found in Urdzhar, Kazakhstan, and all the eight people onboard, including two local officials and two doctors, were found dead, the bureau said.

The helicopter lost contact with the air control tower Thursday afternoon when it was on a mission with another helicopter in East Kazakhstan province, a local emergency situations bureau spokesman was quoted as saying.

The missing helicopter made its last contact with the tower at about 2:00 p.m. local time.

Northern and eastern Kazakhstan have been hit by freezing weather and heavy snow in recent days.

Source: Xinhua