The Russian jack-up drilling rig, Kolskaya, capsized while under tow in a storm in the Sea of Okhotsk, 200 KM off Sakhalin Island at 12.45 local time (0145 GMT) Sunday. Of the 67 crew on board, 14 were rescued, four are reported to have died and 49 are missing.
The air temperature was reported to be -17C and rescue efforts by boat and helicopter are being limited by the severity of the weather. The rig, built in Finland in 1985, was under contract to Gazprom. The Kolskaya was being towed to Kholmsk on the western side of Sakhalin island when it capsized and sank in 20 minutes into waters more than 1,000 meters deep. Thanks to Alaric Bond for passing on the news.