OSLO – Rescuers in Norway say 11 people have been found dead and two are missing after a helicopter crashed off the west coast of Norway.

The search for the remaining two passengers is ongoing, a spokesman from the Rescue Coordination Centre for Southern Norway told broadcaster NRK, adding that among the 13 passengers were one British and one Italian national. The others were Norwegian.

The helicopter reportedly came down near the island of Turøy while en route to the mainland from Statoil’s Gullfaks B oil platform in the North Sea.

The area just west of Bergen, Norway’s second largest city, sees frequent helicopter traffic to and from offshore oil installations.

– TiVi Tuan-san