Fire on Russian nuclear submarine extinguished

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Fire on Russian nuclear submarine extinguished

(Xinhua) 19:19, September 16, 2013

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The fire on the Russian nuclear submarine Tomsk has been extinguished, the United Shipbuilding Corporation said on Monday.

The submarine has been under repair at Zvezda shipyard in the Far Eastern region of Primorsky Krai.

Rubber insulation and old paint inside the ballast tank caught fire during welding operations Monday morning, which caused smoking from the inter-hull space, Interfax news agency reported.

Fifteen firefighter brigades reached the site and pumped foam to extinguish the flames. No one got injured during the operation, and the firefighters who inhaled smoke were provided with medical assistance, Alexei Kravchenko, press officer of the shipbuilding company, told local media.

The fire was put out by 9:30 local time (0530 GMT), and 10 firefighting brigades continue to water the submarine's inter-hull space, according to the company.

An investigative commission was set up to probe into the incident. Preliminary data showed the fire was caused by violation of safety rules during welding, it added.

There is no threat to the population nearby. All weapons had been removed from the submarine and its two reactors were shut down, said the company.

Radiation levels remain normal in the area of the Zvezda shipyard, and a Pacific Fleet radiation control vessel was sent to the site to monitor the temperatures, pressure and gas levels in the Bolshoi Kamen Bay, Interfax reported, citing a fleet official.

（Editor：YanMeng、Gao Yinan）