The helicopter which belongs to the Krasnoyarsk Airlines company with 24 people on board fell while taking off from an airfield in the remote settlement of Baykit due to a snow tornado that damaged the tail boom.

"Six people were injured. Four of them are being examined by doctors, two others are undergoing surgery. The condition of all those injured is assessed as moderate, they mostly have fractures", a representative of the regional department of the Health Ministry said.

The local emergency services stated that at least three people were injured when the copter made a rough landing. The captain of the aircraft was sent to a hospital.

​Rescue workers are operating on the site using five units of equipment, the regional department of the Emergencies Ministry told reporters.