A Mongolian military helicopter crashed into a mountain last week, killing 14 out of 22 aboard, a government official said Monday.

The Russian-made Mi-8 machine, which was carrying firefighters and equipment, disappeared on Wednesday en route to a forest fire in north central Mongolia.

The site of the crash, however, was not found until Saturday, the Emergency Ministry reported.

Officials claim that the rescue crews are still working to save survivors, having the full equipment needed at their disposal.

Relatives of the victims told the government did not mount a search for the helicopter until Friday and that it was initially reported that the helicopter had landed safely after running short of fuel.

According to the immediate reports two of the three pilots are among the victims of the crash.

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