ABOUT TWENTY people have been reported dead in an accident aboard a Russian nuclear submarine that was on sea trial and was coming back to port in the far eastern Primorye territory. The submarine itself has not been damaged and there have been no radiation leaks. The investigation has been initiated into the incident.
According to information about 208 people were on board at the time, 81 of whom were servicemen. The incident occurred in the nose of the vessel. The nuclear reactor was not affected. Country’s worst submarine disaster happened in August 2000, when the nuclear-powered Kursk sank in the Barents Sea. All 118 people on board died.
The name of the submarine and class have not been disclosed yet. However, sea trials have been suspended and return orders have been issued, Capt Dygalo said. “I declare with full responsibility that the reactor compartment on the nuclear-powered submarine is working normally and the radiation background is normal,” he said.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is being kept fully informed about the incident, his press service said. Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Kolmakov and Navy Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Vysotsky will soon be taking stock of the situation.
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