Missing Russian helicopter found in Norway Arctic sea

Image copyright AFP Image caption A 2011 photo of the Russian Mi-8 helicopter at Barentsburg

Norway says a search team has located the wreckage of a Russian Mi-8 civilian helicopter that crashed into the sea with eight people on board in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.

The helicopter, missing since Thursday is on the ocean floor just off the coast near Barentsburg, officials said.

Norwegian police would now search for those on board, a statement said.

Norway has sovereignty over Svalbard but Russia has a small coal-mining community in Barentsburg.

Russia's consul in Barentsburg said five crew and three scientists were on board the helicopter, all Russians. They are feared dead.

The helicopter went missing at 15:35 local time (13:35 GMT).

It was on a short flight to Barentsburg from Pyramiden, a disused Russian mining settlement. The helicopter is operated by a Russian coal-mining enterprise, Arktikugol.

Image copyright AFP Image caption The disused Russian mining settlement of Pyramiden on Svalbard

from BBC News - World http://ift.tt/2ibsrdi