20 killed in helicopter clash

A helicopter belonging to Ukraine's state gas company crashed today as it tried to land on a Black Sea drilling platform, killing 20 people, officials said.

The Mi-8 helicopter went down this morning about 40 miles offshore, Naftogaz company spokesman Valentyn Zemlyansky said.

The craft hit a support pole on the rig with its tail then fell on to the rig and caught fire, the Emergency Situations Ministry said.

The ministry said 19 people died on the spot and another died later of injuries.

The passengers were mainly gas company employees who were arriving at the rig.

The Mi-8 is a workhorse helicopter used widely in civilian aviation and the military in the former Soviet Union. Crashes occur frequently and are often blamed on poor maintenance and excessive age.

Last month, a Ukrainian border guards helicopter also crashed into the Black Sea, killing 12 people.