Russian helicopter brings 25 rescuers from Far East to Japan

MOSCOW, March 15 (Itar-Tass) - A helicopter of the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations has brought rescuers to the quake-stricken Japan, a source at the Ministry's press service told Itar-Tass.
He said that a Mi-26 helicopter had arrived in the city of Fukushima with 25 rescuers as well as rescue equipment and an emergency vehicle on board.
Fifty Russian rescuers from the Tsentrospas detachment of the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations have earlier arrived in Japan. They are expected to work near the city of Sendai, which was worst hit by the disaster.
Andrei Legoshin, the head of the Ministry for Emergency Situations
operational group and the deputy head of the Department of fire-fighting and rescue forces of the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations, said that the Russian rescuers would have three rescue vehicles, search equipment, hydraulic instruments, instruments for breaking through concrete and other tools - inflatable modules, generators and means of communication - necessary for autonomous work for two weeks.
Besides, the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations is planning to dispatch another three rescue teams to Japan. They include approximately 50 experts from the Centre for high-risk operation known as the Leader, 25 employees of the Siberian regional centre and another 25 rescuer from the Russia Far Est.
A total of 180 Russian rescuers will be working in Japan in the near
future.