MOSCOW – Fourteen seamen have died in a fire on a deep submersible,Russia´s defence ministry said Tuesday, the latest in a string of disastersand accidents to hit the country´s navy.
“On July 1, a fire broke out during biometric measurements on a scientificresearch deep-sea submersible,” the defence ministry said.
Fourteen crew died as a result of poisoning from the fumes of the fire inRussia´s territorial waters, a ministry spokeswoman confirmed to AFP.
The fire has been put out, the ministry said, adding an investigation wasunder way.
“The investigation is being conducted by the commander-in-chief of thenavy.”
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The research was conducted to study areas near the seabed and the seabeditself of the ocean in the interests of the Russian naval fleet, accordingto the ministry.
The vessel is now situated at a military base in the closed northern cityof Severomorsk which is located on the Kola Peninsula above the ArcticCircle.
The defence ministry provided no other details. -APP/AFP
