At least 13 people have been wounded after their Mil Mi-8 helicopter crashed in the southern Russian republic of Karachaevo-Cherkessia.
The aircraft crash-landed on a ridge not far from the village of Arkhyz. Rescuers have evacuated the victims of the crash.
Watch video from the crash site
A major resort construction project was scheduled to be launched in Arkhyz on Monday. It is part of an ambitious development plan which aims to turn the Russian Caucasus region into a major tourist attraction.
The official opening ceremony was to be attended by senior Russian officials, including the president of the republic, Rashid Temerezov.
Preliminary reports say the deputy presidential aide for the Caucasus, Maksim Bystrov, and two directors of companies involved in the project were among the passengers on the aircraft.
According to Life News Tabloid, the rescue workers at the scene say that Maksim Bystrov may have been in the cockpit with the pilots, which is strictly forbidden by safety regulations.