Civilian helicopter crashes in Russia, 6 killed

Six people have been killed in a helicopter crash and a subsequent fire in the Russian far eastern city of Khabarovsk.

The civilian helicopter operated by the Russian airline Vostok went down near a wooded area while performing a training flight on Wednesday, Russian media reported.

Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed that all the six people aboard had been killed.

Authorities said the helicopter caught fire on impact, which was later extinguished by fire fighters.

No deaths or injuries were reported on the ground.

According to unconfirmed accounts, the helicopter crashed after it hit an antenna tower.

The helicopter’s black box has also been recovered, and an investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the crash.