Bad Weather Forces Divers to Suspend Cutting Holes in "Kursk" HullDivers, who have cut 22 of all the 26 planned holes in the hull of the sunken Russian submarine Kursk for raising it from the Barents Sea bed, suspended their work on Sunday because of poor weather, said a Russian Northern Fleet spokesman.According to the spokesman, the suspension was caused by high seas and fog in the Barents Sea area, where the Kursk sank a year ago for some reason still unclear, killing all 118 people aboard. Forecasters said they expected the weather to improve by Sunday evening. The spokesman said he thinks the suspension will not lead to the delay of the lifting of "Kursk", which is scheduled for September 15 this year. Meanwhile, the bad weather has stopped a barge with equipment for cutting off the damaged front of the sub from leaving for the sinking site The AMT Carrier vessel would most likely be able to leave the Norwegian port of Kirkenes on Monday, said the headquarters of the Russian Northern Fleet. The barge was to set off from Kirkenes on August 11 but poor weather and extra work on equipment for cutting off the bow of the Kursk have held it up. However, the Russia military have assured that the deadline for raising the submarine remains unchanged as scheduled for September 15. |
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