No radioactive threat after fire at submarine in Severodvinsk
No radioactive threat after fire at submarine in Severodvins |  | |
| ARKHANGELSK, August 30 (Itar-Tass) -- A fire that broke out on a submarine that is being scrapped at the Severodvinsk shipyard poses no radiation threat, spokeswoman for the Zvezdochka shipyard Tatyana Shcherbinina told Tass Thursday. At present, the work on the submarine of the "Akula"class that has a series number 713 is in the final stage. The submarine hull has been cut to pieces, reactor blocks have already been removed, and therefore, the fire poses no radiation threat, the spokeswoman said. "No one has been hurt in the fire that continued barely for a few minutes, and no material damage has been caused," the spokeswoman said. Regrettably, given the existing technologies a hull is cut by means of gas and therefore, such incidents cannot be ruled out altogether. Besides, it is impossible to fully clean the hull constructions of inflammable insulation materials stuck in places that cannot be reached," the spokeswoman said. The regional Emergencies Situations Center said the fire broke out at 4. 36 a.m. Moscow time Thursday and was put out six minutes after. The fire spread to around 15 square meters, The heavy nuclear powered submarine "Akula" (Typhoon) with the series number 713 has been scrapped at the Zvezdochka shipyard on funds provided by the United States in the framework of the Russo- US joint lessening of the threat program. After the submarine is scrapped a block with reactor compartments left intact will be shipped to a dumping site on the Kola peninsula. |
Gregor Gable
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