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Ten Bodies Found, Dozens More Feared Dead in Russian Oil-Rig Disaster |
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Monday, 19 December 2011Officials say the bodies of at least 10 crew members from a sunken oil rig off Russia's far eastern Sakhalin Island have been found and efforts continue for dozens of other workers still missing in the near-freezing waters.
The oil rig, the "Kolskaya," with 67 people aboard, was being towed from the Kamchatka peninsula across the sea toward Sakhalin Island when it got caught up in a storm, capsized, and sank within 20 minutes on December 18.
Fourteen crew members were rescued immediately after the accident.
Conflicting casualty figures have emerged, but most sources confirmed that at least 10 bodies had been hauled from the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk.
As searches for survivors continued, fears mounted that the missing men were dead.
Rescue efforts through the night were hampered by strong winds and waves five meters high.
President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered an investigation. There were said to be signs of safety violations that might have contributed to the disaster.
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Monday, 19 December 2011
RFE/RL
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