14 die in chopper crash
18/06/2007 10:17  - (SA)  

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Ulan Bator - Fourteen people were killed and eight survived when a helicopter crashed into a mountain in north-central Mongolia while on a firefighting mission, a government official said on Monday.

The crash site was found on Saturday after the Russian-made Mi-8 helicopter was missing for several days, and rescuers were still trying to retrieve survivors, Emergency Minister S Otgonbayar said.

Rescuers may need cutting equipment to free trapped survivors, Otgonbayar added.

The helicopter crashed into a mountain, making rescue work difficult, Otgonbayar told reporters. The dead included two of the three pilots on board.

Authorities lost contact with the helicopter on Wednesday when it was bringing firefighters and equipment to a forest fire in Selenge province, Otgonbayar said.

Relatives of the victims complained to reporters that the government did not mount a search for the helicopter until Friday, and that officials initially reported that the helicopter had landed safely after running short of fuel.

No other details were immediately available.

The helicopter belonged to the Mongolia's Defence Ministry.

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