Stranded Russians evacuated from Arctic
A dozen Russian researchers who had been stranded on an Arctic ice floe were picked up by helicopter and brought to solid land today, the Minister of Emergency Situations said.
The rescue operation some 600 kilometers (400 miles) from the North Pole came three days after a large section of their floe disappeared underwater, taking four of the research station’s six buildings with it and raising concern for the researchers’ safety.
Two Russian helicopters left the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, some 700 kilometers (450 miles) south-east of the floe early today and returned with the researchers, their remaining equipment and two dogs about 10 hours later.
None of the researchers were reported to have been injured in the collapse of their floe. Renowned polar explorer and parliament deputy speaker Artur Chilingarov, who took part in the rescue, said he expected the men would be able to make a festive return to the mainland.
The meteorological research station North Pole-32 had set up operations on the floe in April 2003.
On Wednesday, a large part of the floe went underwater. Although officials said the researchers were left with an adequate amount of space on the ice, preparations for the rescue began immediately.
