Support The Moscow Times!

Helicopter Crash Kills 2 in Siberia

Boris Kavashkin / TASS

A gold mining cooperative helicopter crash has reportedly killed two people in Siberia’s Irkutsk region some 6,300 kilometers east of Moscow.

The Robinson chopper presumably hit power lines and fell into a river near the town of Bodaybo, the regional Emergency Situations Ministry branch said. Rescuers spotted an oil stain near the shore, it said.

“Two people died, their bodies are currently being recovered,” the TASS news agency quoted a regional disaster center spokesperson as saying Monday.

The downed helicopter belonged to the Vitim gold mining cooperative, and had a pilot and an employee on board, according to the agency.

The salvage operation has been scheduled for Tuesday as soon as diving crews arrive from Irkutsk, Bodaybo mayor Yevgeny Yumashev told TASS.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more