BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The situation with that Russian sub pinned beneath the see off Norway's northern coast still bleak this morning. Rescuers urgently trying to reach the crew once against failed and unable to link up with a damaged escape hatch on top. CNN's Mike Hanna in Moscow covering every minute of this story as it develops. Here's the latest from Mike in Moscow.</s>MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After several long days, a submersible manages to dock at a Kursk escape hatch. But then another blow to the hopes of rescuers and to the chances of finding members of the crew still alive: the escape hatch at the rear of the vessel appears to be damage.</s>ARKADY MAMONTOV, RUSSIAN TELEVISION REPORTER (through translator): Early in the morning, one of the capsules managed to connect to the escape hatch of the submarine but the platform of the escape hatch was deformed by some powerful blow. And when they began pumping out water, the water wouldn't drain from there. It kept refilling.</s>HANNA: Earlier, the Navy said video revealed the submarine's front escape hatches were damaged beyond repair. There are believed to be only three escape hatches on the submarine. Attempts to dock with the submarine continued. Then a near disaster, forcing one of the rescue capsules to make an emergency ascent.</s>MAMONTOV (through translator): It took the capsule only minutes to come to the surface. The capsule was half flooded. The people on board had red eyes. Some kind of technical malfunction happened and it barely got on board the rescue ship. The six rescuers aboard the capsule were on the verge of a catastrophe.</s>HANNA: On the way to the rescue scene, a British team with a specialized mini sub, the LR5. But with all the escape hatches damaged, will this vessel be any more successful than the Russian submersibles?</s>HANNA: And with the lives of rescuers at risk, at what point is hope of finding survivors abandoned? When does the rescue mission become an operation of salvage? Mike Hanna, CNN, reporting live from Moscow.
Russian Submarine Accident: Rescuers Unable to Link Up With Damaged Escape Hatch