DOHA, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Qatar's Ministry of Interior said on Sunday that six people have been confirmed dead and one remains missing following a helicopter crash in the country's territorial waters.

In a statement, the ministry said that search and rescue teams had recovered six of the seven people on board, all of whom were confirmed dead.

Specialized teams are continuing intensive search operations to locate the remaining missing person, the ministry added.

According to the statement, the helicopter crashed in the state's regional waters after experiencing a technical malfunction during a routine mission. ■