Eight people on board a Russian helicopter belonging to oil giant Gazprom were killed after the chopper crashed in the mountains of Western Siberia, the government said on Sunday.

Eight bodies and three survivors have been found at the crash site of the Russian Mi-8 helicopter in Siberia, which was missing since last Friday.

"The condition of the survivors is very serious and they have been airlifted by a rescue helicopter to a hospital in nearby town of Aktash," the spokesperson of the Emergencies Ministry Irina Andrianova was quoted as saying by the local agencies.

The Mi-8 helicopter belonging to GazpromAvia was on a chartered flight with three member crew and 8 passengers, including president Dmitry Medvedevs envoy in State Duma (lower house) Aleksandr Kosopkin and vice-premier of Altai Republic, when it went missing in clear weather in Altai mountains.

On the third day of the massive aerial and ground search it was spotted in the remote areas and rescue teams were sent on motor sledges.

So far the investigation, which suspects low quality fuel for the crash, have not announced the names of the survivors or dead.
Source : Central