![]() Russian media quote naval sources as saying the accident occurred aboard the "Nerpa," an attack submarine.ĭygalo gave no details of how the accidental activation of the ship's fire-extinguishing system caused the casualties. Radiation levels on the ship are normal."ĭygalo did not identify the submarine, saying only that it was to scheduled to enter full service with the Russian Navy at the end of this year. "I stress that the main power unit, I mean the reactor section, is functioning properly. The injured have been taken ashore and hospitalized.ĭygalo said the nuclear reactor is intact and that no radiation leakage had occurred. According to the Russian Navy, 208 people were on board the submarine, but of those only 81 were servicemen the others were naval technicians and specialists. Russian naval spokesman Igor Dygalo told reporters that the accident occurred in the Sea of Japan and was the result of the "unsanctioned" activation of the submarine's fire-extinguishing systems.ĭygalo said the dead include sailors and shipbuilders. The accident took place on November 8 during sea trials of the new vessel in the Pacific Ocean. ![]() President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered a full inquiry into the mishap, the worst involving a Russian submarine disaster since the "Kursk" sank in 2000, killing 118. Unfortunately, however, the team was forced to cut off the front hull from the rest of the sub in order to bring it to the surface, leaving the best evidence of what caused the explosions at the bottom of the sea.(RFE/RL) - An accident aboard a nuclear Russian submarine has killed at least 20 people and injured another 21 during a test run in the Pacific Ocean. Using $100 million, the best available technology and an international team of experts, Kursk was raised on September 26, 2001, about a year after the accident. Furthermore, given that the Barents Sea is frozen for most of the year, the operation had only a small window in which to work. Under a great deal of pressure, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to raise the submarine from the sea bottom for an investigation, although no ship or object that size had ever before been recovered from the ocean floor. When divers finally reached Kursk a week later, they found no signs of life. With the fate of the 118 Russian crewmen onboard Kursk unknown, several nations offered to contribute to the rescue effort, but the Russian government refused any assistance. It was the largest attack submarine in the world, approximately three times the size of the largest subs in the United States Navy. It had two nuclear reactors and could reach speeds of 28 knots. ![]() Kursk was 500 feet long and weighed 24,000 tons. On August 12, Kursk was scheduled to fire a practice torpedo at 11:29 a.m., before doing so, two explosions spaced shortly apart occurred in the front hull of the submarine and it plunged toward the bottom of the sea. Russian ships, planes and submarines met up in the Barents Sea, which is above the Arctic Circle, to practice military maneuvers. Kursk left port on August 10 to take part in war games with the Russian military. The exact cause of the disaster remains unknown. ![]() ![]() A Russian nuclear submarine sinks to the bottom of the Barents Sea on Augall 118 crew members are later found dead. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |