Mil-8 throws blade
Helicopter blade hits tourists
From correspondents in Moscow
September 15, 2004
A ROTOR blade separated from a helicopter and hit a tent at a hunting and fishing camp today in northern Russia, killing two people, a Russian news agency reported.
Several other people were injured in the incident, which happened along the river Volonga in the remote Yamal-Nenets autonomous region, 3000km north-east of Moscow, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.
The Mi-8 helicopter was on the ground with its engine running when one of the blades broke off and flew into a tent where people were eating breakfast, ITAR-Tass said.
It was unclear if the helicopter was taking off and landing or what caused the blade to break off.
ITAR-Tass said the camp catered to wealthy tourists, who paid as much as $US1800 ($2591) a week to stay there.