Chopper crashes in Dagestan: what do we know

Four people have died in a chopper crash in Russia's Dagestan, regional Health Minister Yaroslav Glazov said.

The Ka-226 chopper, belonging to JSC Kizlyar Electromechanical Plant, crashed yesterday near the Achi-Su settlement of the Karabudakhkent district. It was en route from Kizlyar to Izberbash, the Emergency Ministry said.

According to the emergency services, the chopper fell on a private house and destroyed it. There were no people inside, as the house was not in use, TASS reported.

Three people with burns were taken to an Izberbash hospital. One of them has burns of 90% to 100% of the body, the other two are in serious condition. The two injured are being transported, accompanied by medics, to the republican burn center.

A technical malfunction is being considered as the cause of the crash, the emergency services said. The Southern Transport Prosecutor's Office has launched an emergency investigation.

Officials of the supervisory authority went to the scene, a complex of investigative actions was organized aimed at establishing all the circumstances, causes and conditions of the incident. Investigators have opened a criminal case.