MOSCOW (Dow Jones)–Some crew members were still aboard a Russian nuclear submarine ablaze early Friday after its hull caught fire during shipyard repairs but there was no radiation threat, officials said.
“A part of the crew is on board the submarine and is monitoring the temperature and carbon dioxide parameters in all sections of the boat,” RIA Novosti quoted a defense ministry statement as saying.
The 11,740-metric ton Yekaterinburg, one of Russia’s most powerful nuclear submarines, was undergoing repairs in the northern region of Murmansk near Norway when some wooden structures in the shipyard caught fire Thursday.
The flames spread quickly to the outer hull of the submarine and continued to burn overnight despite a massive salvage operation involving 11 fire brigades along with several helicopters and a navy fire boat.
Nine firemen were suffering from smoke inhalation, an emergency situations ministry source was quoted as saying.
The local emergencies ministry said the radiation levels on board the vessel were normal and posed no threat because its two nuclear reactors had been switched off before repairs.
“These parameters are within the limits of natural radiation fluctuation levels. There is no threat to the population,” the Murmansk emergencies ministry said in a statement.
The submarine was also stripped of its 16 inter-continental ballistic missiles and conventional rockets, defense officials said.
It was not immediately clear how many crew members were aboard the boat. Russian news reports said the Yekaterinburg can carry up to 140 seamen.
The flames were first reported to be contained overnight but defense officials said the craft continued to smoulder Friday morning and that fire fighters were still working on the scene.
“There are no open flames,” a defense ministry statement said.
(Bloomberg) — Iran’s oil production has defied years of US sanctions to return to almost full capacity — a tide of supply that looks increasingly vulnerable as tensions with Israel...
(Bloomberg) — Climate-friendly hydrogen was one of the most-hyped sectors in green energy. Now the reality of its high cost is taking its toll. In recent months, some of the...
(Bloomberg) — Canada is working with Nordic countries to create a new Arctic security coalition that would exclude Russia and offer a place to coordinate on defense, intelligence and cyber...
October 3, 2024
Total Views: 605
Why Join the gCaptain Club?
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.