Snow hampers search for Norway plane crash crew

Rescuers have not been able to find any trace of the five crew members of a Norwegian military transport plane that crashed in the Arctic near the top of the Sweden's highest mountain, Swedish emergency services said on Saturday. 

The Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules lost contact with air traffic controller at 1353 GMT on Thursday as it flew in high winds and snow while taking part in a 15-nation military exercise organised by Norway.  

A spokesman said heavy snow falls and the risk of avalanches were hampering efforts by rescue teams searching for the five officers in the area some 150 km (95 miles) north of the Arctic circle.  

Sweden's Joint Coordination Rescue Center confirmed a Norwegian ground patrol had found debris from the plane strewn over a large area on the western incline of 2,100-metre (6,890-foot) Kebnekaise peak in the isolated far north of Sweden. 

The Hercules, built in 2010, had been en route to Kiruna, Sweden, from Evenes air base in northern Norway when it disappeared. It was taking part in Cold Response, an exercise involving more than 16,000 military personnel.

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