Russian Submarine Fire 'Put Out' in Dock
Firefighters at Zvyozdochka shipyard in Russia's northern province of Arkhangelsk partially flooded a nuclear-powered submarine to extinguish a blaze that started aboard the vessel.
The vessel - classified as Oscar-II by NATO - is a cruise missile type sub which carries nuclear material and has two reactors aboard.
There were no weapons on board of 949 Antei submarine, the vessel's nuclear reactor had been shut down prior to the blaze and nobody was hurt, said the state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation which runs the Zvyozdochka shipyard where the 155-metre (500 ft) 949 Antei submarine was being repaired.
Initial efforts to put the fire out failed and led to authorities allowing water from the North Dvina River into the dock where the vessel was being repaired and then allowed water into the submarine.
The country's Emergencies Ministry declined to comment and there was no word of any casualties. Russian news agency Interfax said there was no weapons onboard the submarine. Other news agencies said the fire had started during welding, causing insulation materials to catch fire. TASS news agency cited a source as saying the submarine's nuclear reactor had been shut down before the blaze.
Shipyard spokesman Yevgeny Gladyshev said that no environmental or radioactive contamination had occurred.
The Russian Investigative Committee has announced that it is launching an investigation into alleged safety violations that could have started the blaze during the repairs.
"The source of the smoke on the submarine Orel, which is undergoing a refit at Zvezdochka [shipyard], has been completely put out," said shipyard spokesman Yevgeny Gladyshev, quoted by Interfax news agency.
