Kazakh helicopter crashes under unknown circumstances

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - A Kazakh military helicopter crashed near the country’s southern border authorities announced on Wednesday.

The Kazakh Defense Ministry said 13 people were on board the Mi-8 helicopter at the moment of the crash in country’s Kyzylorda region at 1735 GMT.

"According to the preliminary data, there are casualties. The condition is being clarified," the ministry said in a statement

The helicopter was returning from the military drill "Altyn Zhebe" where aircraft pilots were trained to operate in the dark and in difficult weather conditions, it said.

Setting off the place of the incident, Defense Minister of Kazakhstan Nurlan Ermekbaev ordered a special investigative commission to look into the crash.

The Defense and Interior ministries launched the investigation, the ministry said.