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Norway helicopter crash: '11 killed' near Bergen Norway helicopter crash: '11 killed' near Bergen
(35 minutes later)
Eleven people have been found dead and two are missing after a helicopter crashed west of the Norwegian city of Bergen with 13 on board, rescuers say. Eleven people have been found dead and two are missing after a helicopter crashed west of the Norwegian city of Bergen carrying 13, rescuers say.
Eleven of those on board were Norwegian, one was British and one Italian.
Photos from the scene show thick smoke coming from an area of rocky islets.Photos from the scene show thick smoke coming from an area of rocky islets.
The helicopter was "totally destroyed", reports said. It was flying from the Gullfaks oil field to Bergen, a centre for the North Sea oil and gas industry.The helicopter was "totally destroyed", reports said. It was flying from the Gullfaks oil field to Bergen, a centre for the North Sea oil and gas industry.
The helicopter, a Eurocopter 225, came down near the small island of Turoey, just west of the village of Solsvik. Oil company Statoil has temporarily grounded all helicopters of the same type.
Police spokesman Morten Kronen said a major rescue operation was under way, which included firefighters, divers and medical workers. The helicopter, a Eurocopter (EC) 225, came down near the small island of Turoey, just west of the village of Solsvik.
Police spokesman Morten Kronen said a major operation, which included firefighters, divers and medical workers, was under way to rescue the two missing people.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the helicopter's rotor blade come loose and shear off.Eyewitnesses reported seeing the helicopter's rotor blade come loose and shear off.
"There was an explosion and a very peculiar engine sound, so I looked out the window. I saw the helicopter falling quickly into the sea. Then I saw a big explosion," a local resident told local newspaper Bergensavisen."There was an explosion and a very peculiar engine sound, so I looked out the window. I saw the helicopter falling quickly into the sea. Then I saw a big explosion," a local resident told local newspaper Bergensavisen.
Some wreckage was found on the island, and parts of the hull are in the sea, local media said. Local media said the helicopter dropped 640m in the last 10 seconds before it crashed. Some wreckage was found on the island, and parts of the fuselage are in the sea.
All passengers on the helicopter were employees of the oil company Statoil, reports say. All passengers on the helicopter were employees of Statoil, reports say.
Service company CHC Helicopter confirmed that there had been "an incident involving one of our aircraft in the Norwegian sector". Norway's civil aviation authority said there had been problems with the main gearbox on the EC225 in 2012 and flying restrictions were imposed on it.
Statoil has temporarily grounded all helicopters of the same type.