Women and children swept into Gulf of Riga on two breakaway blocks of ice

Besides fishermen, women and children have been swept into the Gulf of Riga on two breakaway blocks of ice, Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks told RIA Novosti on Friday.

"We are coordinating rescue operations," he said. Navy ships and helicopters have gotten involved. Not only fishermen, but also people just walking on the ice were swept on two breakaway blocks of ice. We hope that the situation will improve and that no one will get injured."

He added that the rescue operations could last several hours.