Russian authorities say 18 people were killed when a Russian helicopter crashed after a mid-air collision in Siberia.
The Russian Transport Ministry said the Mi-8 helicopter carrying three crew members and 15 passengers crashed on August 4 when it collided with machinery carried by another helicopter soon after takeoff.
The ministry added that the second helicopter landed safely and that the accident took place in "normal" weather conditions.
Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said the helicopter went down around 10 a.m. local time on August 4 about 180 kilometers from the town of Igarka.
The passengers were workers heading to their shift at an oil-pumping station, said Russia's aviation watchdog, Rosaviatsia.
The incident occurred in the Vankor Field area in eastern Siberia the watchdog said. Vankor is the region's largest oil field, operated by Russian oil company Rosneft.
The two aircraft were owned by UTair-Helicopter Services, a unit of Russian airline UTair.
