One person died and two were seriously injured when a Mi-8 helicopter crashed in Kamchatka in Russia`s Far East, the Russian air transportation agency Rosaviatsiya said.

"A Mi-8 helicopter crashed 350 kilometers north of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at 3:03 a.m. Moscow time [00:03 GMT]," a spokesman for the agency said.

There were three crewmembers on board. The helicopter, owned by Koryak Airlines, also was also 2 metric tons of cargo.

The crew reported problems 15 minutes after takeoff, the spokesman said.

"The helicopter was found destroyed. One crewmember died, two were seriously injured and were evacuated by a search and rescue helicopter to a nearby village," he said.

A special commission will be set up to investigate the accident.
sections: Accidents