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British, Norwegian Begin Attempt to Rescue Russian Submarine
The joint British and Norwegian began on Sunday attempt to rescue any survivors on board the sunken Russian submarine Kursk, which is lying on the sea bed in the Barents Sea.
A British Defense Ministry spokesman said here that Norwegian divers with video surveillance equipment have been sent to the bottom of the Barents Sea to assess the situation and that their conclusions will determine whether it will be possible to use the British LR5 submersible.
He said "every possible efforts" should be made to help the Russian sailors while there is any chance of survivors being found.
But British Armed Forces Minister John Spellar told the BBC the recovery of bodies was the responsibility of the Russians.
Pictures from the underwater camera reportedly confirmed damage to the Kursk's escape hatch was quite serious. The damage is thought to be one reason behind the repeated failure of Russian rescuers to gain entry to the vessel.
Under the agreed rescue plan, Norwegian divers would first attempt to enter the submarine's airlock. The British team would then attempt to maneuver the LR5 onto the Kursk and form an airlock through which any surviving crew could escape.
The international effort is seen as the last slim hope for survivors after devastating explosions wrecked the front sections of the nuclear-powered submarine and sent it plunging 108 meters to the seabed on August 12.
Earlier, Russia's deputy prime minister Ilya Klebanov said the crew of the Kursk were almost certainly all dead. He said their chances of survival were "largely theoretical."
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