At least 4 killed in Russian helicopter crash

At least four people were killed when a helicopter crashed in the Kirov region of Russia, officials said on Saturday.

The Soviet-built Mi-2 helicopter crashed near the village of Beleyenki, some 700 kilometres north-east of Moscow, according to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.

In addition to the pilot, a doctor and two paramedics were reportedly on board. The cause of the accident has not been disclosed. Investigations have been launched.

Governor Alexander Sokolov said on Telegram that there were no patients on board.

In Russia and other successor states of the Soviet Union, aircraft accidents occur again and again due to inadequate maintenance and outdated technology. Mi-2 helicopters were produced from the mid-1960s until the late 1990s.