Nobody survived at Spitsbergen helicopter crash

Russian helicopter, disappeared a few days ago, was discovered at the bottom of the sea. Its remains were found at the depth exceeding 200 meters, TASS reports. The safeguards are sure that nobody survived.

According to the Norwegian rules, the search and rescue efforts are declared to be over. Now local authorities keep searching for bodies of the dead passengers and members of the crew. Russian safeguards are taking part in the operations.

A specially equipped vessel was found to lift the crashed helicopter from the bottom pf the sea. The rescue vessel is to arrive at the accident site in a few days to investigate the surroundings where its remains were found. Experts from Russia and Norway will study the situation and compile a plan of further actions.

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg has expressed her condolences to relatives and friends of the dead crew in the telephone conversation with her colleague Dmitry Medvedev.

Norwegians are also expressing their condolences.

It should be reminded, that the Russian helicopter crashed in the North Sea near archipelagos Spitsbergen. The helicopter was making a flight from Russian village Piramida to Barentsburg. It was detected by radars before half past three in the evening local time or 16:35 Moscow time and then was gone.

Spitsbergen is administratively a part of Norway with a special legal status. Russian village Barentsburg is a Russian village populated by mineworkers mostly.

Russkiy Mir