Russian Sub explodes

[andym]

Blast damages Russian submarine

An explosion has damaged a Russian naval submarine undergoing repairs in the Arctic, but there are no reports of any casualties, Russian media say.
Officials have not specified whether the submarine is nuclear-powered.

The background radiation level is normal in Severodvinsk, where the incident took place on Thursday, Interfax news agency reports.

The explosion damaged more than 20sq m (215sq ft) of the submarine's hull, Ekho Moskvy radio reports.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6919029.stm

 

[Seaweed]

And the 'normal' background radiation level in Severodvinsk is???

Look forward to seeing the satellite photos ..

And thanks Andy for spotting this. Good old Rum Ration, first with the news!

 

[Crabman]

Kursk revisited? I hope not.

 

[andym]

It seems that it was some Compressed Air gear.


A surge in air pressure damaged a ballast tank on a Russian nuclear submarine during repairs but the incident was minor, Interfax news agency quoted a navy spokesman as saying on Friday.
The agency had earlier quoted an official in the local administration as saying there had been a small blast. Officials said there was no radiation leak but nearby Norway was checking for any increase in radioactivity in its region.

Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo said there was no explosion and no one was hurt in the incident at a dockyard in the White Sea port of Severodvinsk.

"The management of the (dockyard) ... considers the accident as minor," Interfax quoted Dygalo as saying. He said the damaged cistern will be soon repaired.

Interfax quoted the local environmental monitoring agency as saying that the background radioactive level in the area did not exceed natural levels.

The atomic safety authority in nearby Norway said it was checking for any increase in radioactivity in its region but had no further comment.

It is normal practice in the Russian navy for submarine reactors to be shut down and the fuel removed when they are in dry dock for repairs.

Russia's has a history of incidents -- some of them fatal -- in its submarine fleet. Modernisation is under way, but many of the vessels have been in operation beyond their normal service life.

In the worst incident of the past few years, the Kursk submarine sank to the bottom of the Barents Sea on Aug 12, 2000, after two explosions on board. All 118 crew members died.

In September last year, a fire on board the submarine St. Daniel of Moscow, moored near the Finnish border, killed two crew members.

http://www.javno.com/en/world/clanak.php?id=65695

 

[Seaweed]

St Daniel:

http://bubbleheads.blogspot.com/2006/09/deadly-fire-on-russian-victor-iii.html (Google has more refs)

 

[onions]

Didn't realise it 's nearly 7 years since the Kursk went down.
RIP fellas. "We will remember them".

Keep Striving.

 

[Geordie88]

Royal Navy kit falls apart due to underfunding.

The septics manage to shoot themselves before turning fire on the enemy.

the Russians' kit just blows up on it's own.

I bet the Chinese are very worried.

 

[SILVER_FOX]

... worried the next one might blow up on their doorstep.

SF

 

[janner]

Don't forget the Chinese lost the whole crew on one of their Boats, found on the surface with everyone dead, I'll add a link if I can find it unless anyone else can find it

 

[Chaz]

Don't forget the Chinese lost the whole crew on one of their Boats, found on the surface with everyone dead, I'll add a link if I can find it unless anyone else can find it

About for years ago I think, a ming class or was it a song. All died of CO2 poisoning. Nasty

 

[Chaz]

Chinese sub dit

http://www.friendsoftibet.org/databank/chinadefence/chinad12.html

 

[Jack77]

It would have to have been an engine run on in the Chinese case. CO poisoning. Very nasty.

 

[janner]

http://www.washingtonobserver.org/en/document.cfm?documentid=1&charid=3