United Nations: At least 24 people, including United Nations personnel, were killed today (Jun 30, 2004) when a Russian helicopter leased by UN crashed in Sierra Leone.

The Russian helicopter, an Mi8-MTV-1 belonging to the Siberian-based 'UTair' airlines conducting operational flight from Hastings to Yengema, crashed at 0920 local time (1450 IST) this morning, a UN spokesperson said.

Rescue efforts were on but it "appears that there may be no survivors," the spokesperson said, adding the cause of crash was not immediately clear but the UN has launched an inquiry into it.

'UTair', based in Khanti Mansiisk region of Siberia, confirmed that all the passengers and crewmembers, including three Russian, aboard the helicopter on the UN duty were killed when it crashed in a dense forest in Sierra Leone.

In Moscow State-run Rossia Channel reported that the helicopter on the UN duty was carrying 21 passengers and three Russian crewmembers.

The UN mission in Freetown confirmed that after taking off the helicopter failed to reach its destination in the West of the country.

The airline sources said a search for the helicopter was organised, when its crew failed to report at the agreed time. Later it was spotted burning in the woods near its destination.

The International Aviation Committee (IAC), the organisation that handles all air crashes in the CIS, told Interfax that, in line with international and Russian legal standards, IAC and UTair representatives will fly to the scene to join the investigation tomorrow (Jun 30, 2004).

The helicopter had service of slightly over 2,000 flying hours, including only 200 hours after a recent overhaul, UTair Sergei Babii said.