According to a report from the Associated Press, Russian officials reported that the Russian Akula-class submarine was undergoing sea trials Saturday with 208 people aboard when its fire-extinguishing system activated in error, spewing Freon gas that suffocated the victims and injured 21 others.
With little official information emerging yet about the precise cause, experts said overcrowding and human errors may have contributed to the accident and the casualty toll aboard the Nerpa on Nov. 8 — the worst on a Russian sub since the Kursk disaster killed 118 seamen in 2000.
(Source: Associated Press)