Helicopter carrying oil workers crashes in Norway

A helicopter believed to be carrying 13 people travelling from an offshore oil field has crashed near the Norwegian city of Bergen. Police spokesman Morten Kronen said the helicopter "has crashed, it is totally smashed". He later said that police could not confirm that they had found survivors. Mr Kronen said there were "reports of an explosion and thick smoke" and there were people in the sea. The crash took place on the island of Turoey, near Bergen, he added. He did not explain why people had ended up in the water and could not say what kind of helicopter was involved. Mr Kronen said police had been told the helicopter was carrying 11 passengers and two pilots, but had not been able to verify the figure themselves. Norwegian media posted photos of huge billows of smoke. Eyewitness Rebecca Andersen told Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang that the helicopter's "rotor blades came rushing toward us". "Then we heard a violent explosion," Ms Andersen was quoted as saying. Mr Kronen said the helicopter was on its way from an oil field in the North Sea to Bergen, some 120 kilometres away on the mainland. Norwegian oil and gas company Statoil ASA said in a brief statement it had...