Rescue teams are searching for missing 11 sailors from the sunk tugboat Alexei Kulakovskiy in the Laptev Sea, the Far Eastern department of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations statement said. Currently, 70 rescuers and 13 vessels are participating in the salvage operation.
An earlier report said that the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s regional Crisis Management Center in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) received on August 27, 2010, at 04.40 (LT) an information that the Alexei Kulakovskiy river-sea going tug with a reinforced ice-resistant hull (home port Zhatay, Republic of Sakha, Yakutia) with 14 crew on board capsized and sank in the Laptev Sea, 20 miles offshore, in the vicinity of Tiksi.
Immediately, the regional Emergency Situations HQ started rescue operation. Currently, the tanker Lena-2064 has been at the scene. As of now, the tug’s 3 crew members (the captain and two sailors) have been taken aboard. The rescued seafarers are reportedly in satisfactory condition.
Approximately at 12.00 (LT) rescue helicopter located an empty life raft on the water.
There are two helicopters with rescue teams aboard currently operating in the search area, MI-8 of Polar Airlines and Mi-8 of the Russ. Defense Ministry. Two more ships, the tugboat Captain Babichev and hydrographic vessel Nikolai Yevgenov have moved to the scene.
An earlier report said that the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s regional Crisis Management Center in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) received on August 27, 2010, at 04.40 (LT) an information that the Alexei Kulakovskiy river-sea going tug with a reinforced ice-resistant hull (home port Zhatay, Republic of Sakha, Yakutia) with 14 crew on board capsized and sank in the Laptev Sea, 20 miles offshore, in the vicinity of Tiksi.
Immediately, the regional Emergency Situations HQ started rescue operation. Currently, the tanker Lena-2064 has been at the scene. As of now, the tug’s 3 crew members (the captain and two sailors) have been taken aboard. The rescued seafarers are reportedly in satisfactory condition.
Approximately at 12.00 (LT) rescue helicopter located an empty life raft on the water.
There are two helicopters with rescue teams aboard currently operating in the search area, MI-8 of Polar Airlines and Mi-8 of the Russ. Defense Ministry. Two more ships, the tugboat Captain Babichev and hydrographic vessel Nikolai Yevgenov have moved to the scene.