ULAN BATOR, Mongolia - Fourteen people were killed and eight survived when a helicopter crashed into a mountain in north-central Mongolia while on a firefighting mission, a government official said Monday.
The crash site was found Saturday. The large, Russian-made Mi-8 helicopter had been missing since Wednesday. Rescuers were still trying to retrieve survivors, Emergency Minister S. Otgonbayar said, adding that rescuers may need cutting equipment to free trapped survivors.
The helicopter crashed into a mountain, making rescue work difficult, Otgonbayar told reporters. The dead included two of the three pilots on board.
Authorities lost contact with the helicopter as it was transporting firefighters and equipment to a forest fire in Selenge province, Otgonbayar said.
Relatives of the victims told reporters that the government did not mount a search for the helicopter until Friday, and that officials initially reported that the helicopter had landed safely after running short of fuel.
No other details were immediately available.
The helicopter belonged to the Mongolia's Defense Ministry.
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