First group of passengers on stranded Russian vessel airlifted by Chinese helicopter: Xinhua reporter - Xinhua

ABOARD XUELONG, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The first group of 12 passengers aboard a Russian vessel stuck in sea ice off Antarctica have been transferred by a Chinese helicopter to ice surface near an Australian rescue ship on Thursday, said a Xinhua reporter.

The passengers were taken to safe ice near Aurora Australis by Xueying 12, a helicopter on board China's icebreaker Xuelong, after an earlier flight examining the conditions around the stranded MV Akademik Shokalskiy to prepare for the landing on ice, said the reporter aboard Xuelong.

The helicopter could only land on ice near the Russian ship as there is no apron aboard it, said the reporter.

On Wednesday, Xueying captain Jia Shuliang told Xinhua they were ready to transport the 52 scientists and tourists aboard MV Akademik Shokalskiy in groups of 12.

The rescued will be sent to drifting ice-free waters aboard Aurora Australis after all the 52 are airlifted, said the reporter.

Captain of MV Akademik Shokalskiy Igor Kiselev also confirmed to Russian media on Thursday about the rescue of the first batch of passengers.

It is summer in Antarctica now when nights are as bright as days, so rescuing flights can be made without stop, said Kiselev, who expects a total of seven flights to transfer the passengers, luggage and scientific instruments and equipment to safety.

Each flight takes 45 minutes, so in all, five to six hours are needed, said the captain.

Xuelong, which left Shanghai in early November on China's 30th scientific expedition to Antarctica, has established an emergency relief working group after the Russian ship's captain sent a formal request on Tuesday for chopper rescue.

CANBERRA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- A helicopter from Chinese icebreaker Xue Long finally reached the Russian research ship stuck in sea ice in Antarctica at around 5 p.m. (local time) after several attempts were thwarted by severe weather, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on Thursday.

ABC footage showed the rescue helicopter has reached the Russian ship and the rescue operation has started. Full story