A helicopter crash beside a kindergarten in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, has claimed 18 lives, authorities in the Eastern Europe country have disclosed.
Denis Monastyrsky, Ukrainian interior minister, three other ministers and two children were among those who lost their lives in the crash which occurred on Wednesday.
The tragedy in Brovary had left 29 injured and killed 18, Oleksiy Kuleba, head of Kyiv’s regional military administration, said
He added that a fire broke out after the helicopter crashed.
There are no explanations for what might have caused the accident.
At the time of the tragedy, there were children and staff in the kindergarten. At the moment, everyone has been evacuated.
In a statement, Ihor Klymenko, police chief, said at least nine of the victims were aboard the helicopter which belonged to Ukraine’s state emergency service.
Another 22 people are in hospital, including 10 children, he added.
Paramedics, the police, and firefighters are responding at the scene.