VLADIVOSTOK (Sputnik) — Russian Emergencies Ministry's aircraft has ended air search for the missing crew members from the Dalniy Vostok fishing freezer trawler that sank in the Sea of Okhotsk on April 1, a spokesperson for the Ministry’s unit in Magadan region said Wednesday.
“Be-200 [plane] has departed to Sakhalin. No more air search has been planned. However, two Mi-8 helicopters at Sokol airport in Magadan will go to the scene if needed,” the spokesperson told RIA Novosti.
Also Russian Emergencies Ministry said that about 2,300 people are taking part in the rescue operation.
“A total of about 2,300 people and 117 units of equipment are taking part in the search operation… The search will be continued on Wednesday,” Far East division of the Russian Emergencies Ministry said.
According to the statement, on Wednesday a Mi-8 helicopter from Russian port city of Magadan will continue search from air. Currently 25 vessels are searching for the missing sailors at sea.
The Dalniy Vostok trawler sank in the Sea of Okhotsk about 186 miles from the Russian port city of Magadan. There were 132 people on board the vessel. Rescue teams have lifted a total of 119 people from the water, 56 of them had died. The fate of 13 crew members remains unknown. It is highly unlikely that they have survived as death is imminent for those staying in freezing waters over 15 minutes.
On Saturday, acting governor of Sakhalin Region Oleg Kozhemyako said that the violation of safety rules could have caused the accident.
