Vietnamese army officials blame technical failure for the crash of a military helicopter in the capital Hanoi that killed 19 people and injured two others.

The Russian-made Mi-171 helicopter was carrying 21 people, including 16 soldiers, when it came down early Monday in a residential area of the Thach That district during parachute training, according to state-run media. Two trainers and three crew were also on board.

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Army Deputy Commander General Vo Van Tuan ruled out bad weather and sabotage as possible causes of the crash, saying "According to our preliminary investigation, the accident was due to technical problems."

Initial reports put the death toll at 16. But the national radio revised the number to 19 following the deaths of three injured soldiers.  The dead were all military personnel. The injured suffered serious body burns and were taken to the National Burns Hospital after receiving emergency treatment at a local hospital.  

Eyewitnesses said the chopper appeared to be having trouble and struggled to stay airborne before hitting the ground and exploding. One female resident who requested anonymity said it seemed that the plane made an attempt to avoid houses and the local market before crash-landing on a field.  "I heard an aircraft making a strange noise... I ran outside and the aircraft exploded. There was a huge blaze then a plume of smoke," she told reporters.

According to the official daily Thanh Nien, the plane burst into flames after slamming into a fence. Some residents helped in the rescue effort but refused to give details.

Vietnam's military exercises come amid heightened tension between Hanoi and Beijing in their territorial dispute over Paracel islands. In May, China deployed an oil rig into waters near the islands, known as Xisha Islands in Chinese and as Hoàng Sa Archipelago in Vietnamese. Experts say Hanoi is planning more military training exercises in response to Beijing's latest action. Military sources in Vietnam refused to comment on the matter.

TagsVietnamese military, Air disaster, Military exercises, Helicopter crash, Vietnam