RIGA, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- One person died and three others suffered injuries after a helicopter crashed during a motor rally in Gramzda, southwestern Latvia, Sunday.
The helicopter passenger who died in the crash was a Polish national, Maris Gorodcovs, director of the Latvian Civil Aviation Agency, said on public radio.
According to eyewitnesses, the tail of the Robinson R44 helicopter broke off after hitting a powerline. Gints Esenvalds, police chief in Latvia's southwestern city of Liepaja, agreed that this was probably what caused the aircraft to come down.
Janis Unbedahts, a representative of Rally Liepaja, said that the helicopter crashed near the finish line and that the motor race was therefore suspended.
The helicopter had no connection with the rally's organizers, said Unbedahts.
Rescuers had to be called to pull the people out of the wreckage. The three injured crash victims were taken to hospital. Two of them had sustained serious injuries and were unconscious.
Ilze Tilhena, a representative of Saldes Tikls power grid operator, informed that a 20KV powerline was disrupted when a helicopter flew into the cables in the municipality of Gramzda on Sunday afternoon.
