Saturday, August 6 2005 12:25 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: The United States (US) is rushing two unmanned, remote-controlled vehicles from California to Russia's Pacific coast to try and save seven Russian sailors aboard a mini-submarine that sank after its propeller became entangled in either a fishing net or steel cables.

"The US Navy is sending 30 sailors along with the rescue vehicles to assist in the effort to save the crew," according to a US Department of Defence report.

The deep-diving 'Super Scorpio' submersibles and the team of Navy operators will be flown to Petropavlovsk at the request of the Russian Navy, a US Navy spokeswoman said.

The crew and the vehicles will then be taken to a Russian surface ship positioned over the accident site before making a descent to the stricken vessel.

The submarine is located 190 metres below the ocean's surface, making it impossible for the crew to swim to the surface or for divers to reach the vessel.

The US rescue vehicles are capable of reaching depths of about 1,500 metres and cutting through 2.5 centimetre steel cables. They are also equipped with high-powered lights, sonar and video cameras.

"Unfortunately, the real situation now is that there is enough air only for 24 hours," Russian Navy spokesman Captain Igor Dygalo said yesterday (August 5, 2005).

The rescue operation will continue around the clock, without any breaks or interruptions," he said.

"Russia asked for assistance from the US Navy, they are formulating a plan to help," Courtney Austrian, a spokeswoman for the US Embassy in Moscow, said in a telephone interview.