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Bad weather complicates search for border guards missing in Kuriles

Five border guards were found dead, another five are reported missing

© ITAR-TASS/Vladimir Sayapin

YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, January 26, 9:18 /ITAR-TASS/. The search for missing border guards was continued off the Kurile island of Kunashir on Sunday. Five border guards were found dead, another five are reported missing, a source in the Yuzhno-Kurilsk district authorities told Itar-Tass.

Four border patrol ships and two civilian ships are sailing in Yuzhno-Kurilskaya Bay. A helicopter cannot engage in the search over sharply worse weather.

“Strong winds packing 22 metres per second are reported on Kunashir. Snow flurries do not allow aircraft to engage in the search. Around 60 people are involved in the search operation, around 10 kilometres of coastline were searched through, but in vain,” the source noted.

“Divers are involved in the search, but they cannot dive now due to bad weather,” the source said. “The search will continue in the daytime. The situation may improve not earlier than tomorrow’s afternoon,” he added.

“A rubber boat carrying an inspection group of 10 border guards of the Federal Security Service border department in Sakhalin Region capsized in Yuzhno-Kurilskaya Bay in five cables southwest of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in bad weather (snow flurries, strong gusts of wind),” the centre of public relations of the Federal Security Service told Itar-Tass earlier.

The military investigation department of the Investigative Committee in Goryachiye Klyuchi garrison opened a criminal case over the death of border guards from the local Federal Security Service department for violation of sea navigation rules that entailed the death of two and more people.

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