(Image source from: Hürriyet Daily News)

A Mi-8 helicopter has crashed in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia, Russia killing 18 people, including three crew members, according to preliminary reports.

Russia's emergencies ministry said the MI-8 went down at 10.20 a.m., about 180km from the town of Igarka, the BBC reported.

No other inside information was provided by the ministry.

The chopper was run by the Utair airline, according to an emergency services source cited by TASS, a Russian news agency.

The helicopter was transporting workers of Vankor company to an oil well when the crash occurred not long after take-off.

Its fuel tanks were said to be full, resulting in an inferno that reportedly completely incinerated the aircraft, express.co.uk reported.

The cause of the crash was not instantly known.

By Sowmya Sangam