Helicopter Crash in Siberia Cost 19 Lives

The helicopter was flying from an oil and gas field in the Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk to the small settlement of Urengoi.

A Russian helicopter has crashed in north-western Siberia killing at least 19 people, officials said.

The Mi-8 helicopter carrying 22 people, mostly oil and gas workers, went down on Friday in the Yamalo-Nenetsky region.

President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences to relatives of the victims, according to his spokesman.

The helicopter “fell on its right side and the victims could not get out,” a military spokesman said.

Three survivors were flown to the hospital but fog and poor visibility had hindered search and rescue operations, according to officials.