Helicopter crashes in Belarus, killing 5 people

Helicopter crashes in Belarus, killing 5 people

2011-10-21 19:33:31 GMT+7 (ICT)

MINSK, BELARUS (BNO NEWS) -- Five people were killed on Thursday afternoon when a helicopter crashed in Belarus near the border with Lithuania, officials told local media on Friday.

The twin-engine Ecureuil AS355 NP helicopter crashed in a village near the Belarus-Lithuanian border on Thursday afternoon, local authorities told the Beltel Radio Company. A fire immediately broke out in the aircraft.

All five people who were on board the aircraft were killed, including two crew members and three members of the 'Soyuz' TV camera crew and radio association.

According to reports, the crew was carrying out a report on border security in the area when the helicopter crashed. State Frontier Committee Chair Igor Rachkovsky later arrived at the scene of the accident where investigations have been launched.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known. The six-seater Ecureuil chopper was originally manufactured by Aerospatiale, which is now part of the Eurocopter Group. In North America, it is also known as the TwinStar.

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