Moscow, Aug 4 : Eighteen people are feared killed after an MI-8 helicopter crashed in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia, Russia, 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.

The ministry provided no further details. Russian media quoted sources as saying that three crew members and 15 passengers were killed.

The helicopter was operated by the Utair airline, according to an emergency services source cited by TASS, a Russian news agency. The helicopter is thought to have been taking workers to an oil well, when the crash occurred shortly 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 immediately known.

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Dubai: Smoke was seen rising from an area near the United States Consulate in Dubai, according to witness accounts cited by Reuters.

There was no immediate official confirmation on the extent of damage or whether there were any casualties in the incident.

Earlier, the US embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital, was also attacked. Authorities reported damage to the premises, but no casualties were recorded.

The developments come amid heightened tensions in the region, with Iran continuing to target US interests in the Middle East following deadly attacks launched on Saturday by Israel and the United States.