Short-circuit to blame for fire on submarine—Soviets

Press, 12 April 1989, Page 12

Short-circuit to blame for fire on submarine—Soviets

NZPA-Reuter Moscow An electrical shortcircuit apparently caused a fire that killed 42 seamen of a Soviet nuclearpowered submarine off the Norwegian coast, “Izvestia” said on Monday.

The Government newspaper also revealed that only four of the victims died aboard the submarine when it caught fire and sank on Friday, while the rest apparently drowned. Some 29 were rescued from Arctic waters, but two died later. The official Soviet news agency, Tass, said earlier the submarine’s commander was among the dead. “According to provisional data, the fire started as a result of an electrical short-circuit,”

Sergei Vargin, head of the political department of the Soviet Northern fleet, told “Izvestia.” “It started when the submarine was returning from a distant voyage and was sailing under water. When the accident happened, the submarine surfaced.”

Mr Vargin said it was now known exactly where the submarine had sunk but gave no more details. “Izvestia” also quoted the Soviet Defence Minister, Dmitry Yazov, as confirming that there was no danger to the environment as a result of the accident.

“It has been established that the reactor was shut down in a standard procedure before the sinking of the submarine. It has

been shut reliably. Destruction of its body is ruled out,” Mr Yazov said. “Soviet specialists took water samples in the accident area,” he added. “Research has confirmed the conclusion that radioactive contamination of the environment is ruled out.”

Mr Yazov said the submarine’s two nucleararmed torpedoes, which sank together with it, also posed no threat. The Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, assured the Norwegian Prime Minister, Gro Harlem Brundtland, the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, and the United States President, George Bush, that there was no danger of radioactive leakage.