A Yemeni military helicopter crashed in a crowded neighborhood in central capital Sanaa today, leaving at least nine people dead and 23 others injured. Officials at the operation room of the Yemeni Air Force Base said the military helicopter crashed near the Sanaa University in downtown the capital, where thousands of protesters against former President Ali Abdullah Saleh have been camping for nearly two years. One of the officials said that the crashed helicopter was a Russian-made Sokhoi. Another official said that a technical problem caused the incident.

Medical sources said only the pilot onboard the plane was killed and eight civilians, including two children and three women, on the ground were confirmed dead after the plane damaged several buildings. The death toll may rise as the plane crashed in a crowed neighborhood. Rescue efforts were still underway to search for possible survivors underneath the wreckage.