Technicians from US contractor had been working on fire-suppression system at the McMurdo scientific outpost on Ross Island

Two fire technicians at a US scientific station in Antarctica have died after being found unconscious, according to the National Science Foundation (NSF).

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The two technicians had been working on a fire-suppression system at McMurdo station on Ross Island, the foundation said on Wednesday. It said they were found on the floor by a helicopter pilot who had landed after spotting what appeared to be smoke from the building.

Both were taken from the building and given CPR. One died at the scene. The other was flown to a clinic and pronounced dead shortly after. It happened on Tuesday eastern US time at a generator building that powers a radio transmitter near the McMurdo station.

They were employed by a Virginia-based subcontractor, PAE , which provides logistical support to the US Antartica program that is managed by the foundation. NSF said it was not immediately releasing any personal information about the pair. The deaths were under investigation and would be reviewed by a panel convened by the foundation.

NSF spokesman Peter West said the deaths were not being treated as suspicious.