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Antarctic rescue: Helicopter starts operation | |
(35 minutes later) | |
An operation has begun in Antarctica to rescue passengers from the ice-bound research vessel Akademik Shokalskiy. | |
A Chinese helicopter arrived close to the vessel, bringing in a crew to assess the landing situation. | |
The aircraft is expected to return within the hour to begin ferrying the first passengers out to another vessel. | |
The Shokalskiy has been trapped since Christmas Eve. Its 22 crew are expected to remain on board once the 52 scientists and tourists have left. | |
Weight restrictions | |
"The Chinese helicopter has arrived at the Shokalskiy. It's 100% we're off! A huge thanks to all," expedition leader Chris Turney tweeted. | |
Mr Turney's post showed a video of a red helicopter touching down on a site that had been marked out by the Akademik's crew. | |
Members of the crew checked the site and the helicopter took off again. | |
"If it all goes well we'll be off in about an hour's time," Mr Turney says in the video. | |
Rescue co-ordinators based in Australia had earlier said it was unlikely the airlift would go ahead on Thursday as hoped because of the sea-ice conditions. | |
The rescue involves ferrying groups of passengers by helicopter to the Chinese icebreaker Xue Long, from where they will be taken by sea to the Australian icebreaker Aurora Australis. | |
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) had said the conditions were preventing a barge from Aurora Australis from reaching the Chinese vessel. | |
The barge is needed because weight restrictions mean the Chinese helicopter cannot land on the Aurora Australis. |