Chinese helicopter takes off to rescue Russian passengers in Antarctica

Chinese helicopter Xueying 12 on board the icebreaker Xuelong has embarked on its second flight Thursday to transfer part of the passengers aboard a Russian vessel stuck in sea ice off Antarctica to an Australian rescue ship, said a Xinhua reporter aboard Xuelong.

The flight was taken after a first one that examined the conditions around the stranded ship to prepare for the landing of the helicopter on ice.