A Moldovan helicopter contracted by NATO crashed in Afghanistan on September 2. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Republic of Moldova said that two crew members and ten passengers died in the crash according to the first reports.

In a press release that is quoted by IPN, the Authority says the helicopter MI-8 MTV with the registration number ER-MHR of the Valan International Cargo Charter airline crashed shortly after taking off from the military base in Mazar-i-Sharif.

There were three crew members of Ukrainian nationality and 11 Afghan passengers aboard.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority, an investigation was opened to find out more information and to establish all the circumstances of the crash.