Vietnam military helicopter crash kills 16 – doctor

A Russian-made MI-171 helicopter is being prepared to go on a new search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in Ca Mau on March 10, 2014. A military helicopter crashed in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi during a routine training exercise on July 7, 2014, an official said, as state-run media carried conflicting reports of casualties. AFP FILE PHOTO

HANOI, Vietnam – A doctor said 16 Vietnamese military personnel have been killed in a helicopter crash close to Hanoi, the capital.

The official Vietnam News Agency said the Russian-made chopper crashed Monday about 15 minutes after takeoff on a parachute training exercise. A doctor at a military hospital said 16 people were killed and five others were being treated for injuries.

He didn’t give his name because he wasn’t authorized to speak to the media.