MOSCOW - A military helicopter crashed Saturday morning in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, killing three of the four people on board, local authorities said.

The Mi-8 chopper of the Russian Border Service hit the ground and was burnt into pieces in the Khankala military airfield as it attempted to land despite poor visibility, a spokesperson at the Southern Military District prosecutor's office told reporters.

The only survivor was being treated for injuries in hospital, the spokesperson added.

Investigators were working at the scene to determine whether the crash was caused by violations of flight safety rules, according to the spokesperson.