Hundreds of Russian fishermen rescued from ice floe

MOSCOW, Feb 3 (Reuters) Hundreds of fishermen were rescued from an ice floe in Russia's Okhotsk Sea today after it drifted away from the coast in strong winds.

An Emergencies Ministry spokesman said rescue workers used helicopters and rubber boats to reach the fishermen.

''All 442 people have been saved,'' the spokesman said.

Residents of Sakhalin and other regions in the far east -- historically Russia's poorest -- rely heavily on fishing in Pacific waters to make ends meet.

REUTERS KD BD1520