Russia: Chopper carrying oil workers crashes in northern Siberia, killing all 18 aboard

A Russian helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff in Siberia on Saturday, killing all 18 people aboard, its airline said. Preliminary information indicated that the aircraft's blades collided with another helicopter that had taken off beforehand from the same pad in Vankor, above the Arctic Circle about 2,600 kilometres (1,600 miles) northeast of Moscow, UTair said in a statement. There were 15 passengers and three crew aboard the Mi-8 helicopter, the airline said. The second helicopter landed safely, it added. Russian news reports said all the passengers were believed to have been working for a subsidiary of the state oil company Rosneft. (AP)