Oslo, Monday

RESCUE workers found two bodies and wreckage from the rotor blade and fuselage of a helicopter missing at sea off northern Norway since early this morning.

The Super Puma helicopter with 10 passengers and two crew on board was on a routine flight between Broennoeysund and the Norne oilfield when it went missing.

The pilot last made contact with air traffic control on the mainland at 4.55am. He was due to land on an oil production ship 11 minutes later.

Two Sea King helicopters, an Orion surveillance plane, three coastguard ships, and six commercial vessels were involved in the search.

The Norne oilfield lies about 125 miles off the Norwegian coast and is operated by the state-owned oil company Statoil. Hans Aasmund Frisak, a Statoil spokesman, said eight of the passengers were employed by offshore services company Aker Maritime, one was from Kvaerner ASA, and one was from Statoil. - Reuter