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Russian nuclear submarine, Yekaterinburg, in dock fire | Russian nuclear submarine, Yekaterinburg, in dock fire |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A fire has broken out during repairs to a Russian nuclear submarine at a dock near the northern port of Murmansk. | |
The Russian Emergency Ministry said there had been no leak of radiation, and nobody was injured. | The Russian Emergency Ministry said there had been no leak of radiation, and nobody was injured. |
The Yekaterinburg submarine was being repaired when wooden structures in the dock caught fire and the flames spread to the vessel, say Russian media. | The Yekaterinburg submarine was being repaired when wooden structures in the dock caught fire and the flames spread to the vessel, say Russian media. |
Eleven fire crews and a navy launch fought the blaze, which has now been put out. | |
Local media reports said a helicopter was also used. | Local media reports said a helicopter was also used. |
'Fire cannot spread' | 'Fire cannot spread' |
The Russian defence ministry said the nuclear reactors on the vessel were already shut down when the fire broke out. | The Russian defence ministry said the nuclear reactors on the vessel were already shut down when the fire broke out. |
All weapons had also been removed from the submarine before it entered the dock, the ministry said. | |
As a huge plume of smoke billowed into the sky a Russian defence ministry spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, insisted there was no major risk from the fire. | |
"The power unit was switched off and is now safe," he told Russian state television. | |
"The fire cannot spread into the sub. There is no threat to onboard technical equipment." | |
Russian news agencies later said the submarine had been partially submerged in the dock to help extinguish the blaze. | |
The Yekaterinburg is a Delta-IV-class nuclear submarine. It was commissioned by the Soviet Union in 1985 and can carry 16 intercontinental ballistic missiles. | The Yekaterinburg is a Delta-IV-class nuclear submarine. It was commissioned by the Soviet Union in 1985 and can carry 16 intercontinental ballistic missiles. |
Safety on Russian navy submarines is a sensitive issue for the military following the Kursk disaster in August 2000. | Safety on Russian navy submarines is a sensitive issue for the military following the Kursk disaster in August 2000. |
The Kursk nuclear submarine sank in the Barents Sea off north-west Russia, killing all 118 seamen on board. | The Kursk nuclear submarine sank in the Barents Sea off north-west Russia, killing all 118 seamen on board. |
Investigators concluded that an explosion of fuel from one of its torpedoes caused the sinking. | Investigators concluded that an explosion of fuel from one of its torpedoes caused the sinking. |