Helicopter crashes off Norwegian coast

The helicopter was on its way back from the Gullfaks B oil platform, operated by Statoil, in the North Sea when it crashed.

"The helicopter is completely destroyed," a spokesman for the Rescue Coordination Centre for Southern Norway said. "Rescue services are doing all they can to find people alive."

There were 11 passengers and two crew onboard, Statoil and rescue officials said.

"We have not yet found any survivors. We are still looking," the local police official coordinating operations, Morten Kronen, told Reuters.

Live TV pictures from Norwegian broadcasters NRK and TV2 showed plumes of smoke rising from the area, a stretch of sea with many small islands. Pieces of red debris could be seen on one rocky outcrop.

The area, just west of Bergen, Norway's second largest city, has frequent helicopter traffic to and from offshore oil installations.

Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Twitter the news of the crash was "horrible".

Source: Chinadaily