A helicopter sporting Statoil people from an offshore rig inside the North Sea crashed Friday on an island off western Norway, killing all 13 humans on board, rescuers stated.
The Airbus EC-225 helicopter shattered into pieces because it slammed just after noon into the rockyshoreline of Turoey, a tiny island outdoor Bergen, Norway’s second–biggest town.
“We do not agree with all of us can be located alive,” stated Boerge Galta of the Joint Rescue Coordination middle. The rescue operation become called off Friday at 5 p.m. after eleven our bodieshave been located on land but divers were nonetheless searching out the alternative bodies.
eleven Norwegians, one Briton and one Italian had been aboard the aircraft that went down for unknownmotives, stated Jon Sjursoe, also of the Joint Rescue Coordination middle. The helicopter’s fuselagechanged into located within the water off the island even as its rotor machine turned into on land, hestated.
“unluckily, there aren’t any signs of survivors,” high Minister Erna Solberg advised a informationconference. “that is a sad day for all individuals who work inside the Norwegian oil and gasolineenterprise and for Norwegian society.”
The helicopter became heading to Bergen from Statoil’s Gullfaks B oil subject inside the North Sea, aboutone hundred twenty kilometers (74 miles) offshore.
“All 13 have been on a mission for us,” Statoil vice president Arne Sigve Nylund advised a newsconference, declining to intricate about their relation to Norway’s largest oil employer. He stated after the “terrible tragedy,” all sports at the Gullfaks B oil area were briefly halted.
Statoil stated it had “briefly grounded all equivalent visitors helicopters.”
Police spokesman Morten Kronen stated the helicopter become “definitely smashed” because it hit the tiny island and Norwegian media published photos of smoke billowing from the crash site. Witness Rebecca Andersen told the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang that the helicopter’s “rotor blades got here rushingcloser to us.”
“Then we heard a violent explosion,” she said.
The Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority right away banned helicopters of the identical kind as the one that crashed from flying in the Scandinavian u . s . a . or near Norwegian offshore facilities.
The authorities organisation stated its decision – affecting all Airbus Helicopters EC225LP whetherregistered in Norway or no longer – changed into “because of the fatal coincidence.” It was effectiveright now and “would continue to be in pressure till revoked.”
The plane is produced through Airbus Helicopters, previously referred to as Eurocopter institution.
government in Britain were sending air twist of fate investigators to Norway to help assist due to the factthe U.okay. has investigated several crashes concerning helicopters working to and from offshore oil fields in recent years.
The crash brought about Norway’s King Harald and his wife Queen Sonja to cancel a journey to neighboring Sweden, where they were invited to wait the seventieth birthday celebrations on Saturday for King Carl XVI Gustaf. rather, the Norwegian royal house can be represented by way of the king’s daughter, Princess Martha Louise, and her husband, Ari Behn.
