Russian fishing boat crew lost in freezing sea

Seventeen fishermen were missing and feared dead yesterday after a Russian trawler capsized and sank in the freezing Barents Sea.

Two people were rescued during a search-and-rescue operation, but bad weather complicated efforts to find more survivors.

The Onega, pictured, sank near the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, with authorities becoming aware of the accident at 7.30am.

"Nineteen people ended up in the water," an investigating panel said.

There was little hope of finding any more survivors beyond the two due to high winds and low temperatures. "Temperatures were as low as 30 degrees Celsius below zero," a witness said. "It's practically impossible to hold out."

Investigators believe ice had built up on the Russian-flagged vessel. "The disaster struck during a storm when the crew was hauling in a net with the catch," said an investigator. "People were literally swept off from the deck by the sea."

And the trawler sank so fast the crew did not have time to activate life rafts.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE