Updated

Rescue officials say a Russian helicopter with eight people on board has fallen into the sea off Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago that belongs to Norway.

The rescue service for northern Norway says the helicopter was en route from Barentsburg, Svalbard's second largest settlement, to a Russian settlement known as the Pyramid.

Svalbard is more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) north of Norway's mainland. It's known for its stunning views of snow-covered mountains, fjords and glaciers.

The rescue service said the helicopter went down 2 to 3 kilometers (1.3 to 1.9 miles) from Barentsburg.

Agency spokesman Tore Hongset tells Norwegian news agency NTB they had not received any mayday signal from the helicopter.