At least 20 die in accident on Russian nuclear sub

[mamacags]

MOSCOW (Reuters) - At least 20 people have died and 21 been injured in an accident on board a Russian nuclear-powered submarine in the Pacific Ocean, a Russian naval spokesman said on Sunday.

Radiation levels on board were normal, he said.

Russia's navy has suffered a string of fatal accidents, including the loss of the Kursk nuclear submarine in the Barents Sea in August 2000. All 118 sailors aboard died.

"More than 20 people were killed on a nuclear submarine in the Pacific Ocean during routine testing as a result of the unsanctioned functioning of the fire extinguishing systems," the navy spokesman, Igor Dygalo, said by telephone.

Dygalo did not give the name of the submarine or specify where it was located. There were 208 people on board at the time of Saturday's accident, some of them from a shipbuilding company, he added.

"The reactor section (of the submarine) is working properly," the spokesman said. "The radiation levels on the ship are normal."(more at link)
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE4A738V20081109?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&rpc=22&sp=true

[BlueStateSaint]

MOSCOW (Reuters) - At least 20 people have died and 21 been injured in an accident on board a Russian nuclear-powered submarine in the Pacific Ocean, a Russian naval spokesman said on Sunday.

Radiation levels on board were normal, he said.

Russia's navy has suffered a string of fatal accidents, including the loss of the Kursk nuclear submarine in the Barents Sea in August 2000. All 118 sailors aboard died.

"More than 20 people were killed on a nuclear submarine in the Pacific Ocean during routine testing as a result of the unsanctioned functioning of the fire extinguishing systems," the navy spokesman, Igor Dygalo, said by telephone.

Dygalo did not give the name of the submarine or specify where it was located. There were 208 people on board at the time of Saturday's accident, some of them from a shipbuilding company, he added.

"The reactor section (of the submarine) is working properly," the spokesman said. "The radiation levels on the ship are normal."(more at link)
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE4A738V20081109?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&rpc=22&sp=true

I seem to recall that denials like this were boilerplate during the era of the USSR.  Maybe the same PR firm is running things.

[Wretched Excess]

the unsanctioned functioning of the fire extinguishing systems

yikes.  I believe that means they suffocated.

[RightCoast]

yikes.  I believe that means they suffocated.

Sounds like a damn crappy way to go to me...

[Miss Mia]

yikes.  I believe that means they suffocated.

That's very sad. 

[Peter3_1]

It is, worse than drowning, chest hurts like hell, then, as you go out, the pain faids and you think "Well, this is lt. Stupid way to die." Then, if you're very lucky (like me) the EMT's keep you clicking, if unconsious, until you reach the hospital.

[JohnMatrix]

I seem to recall that denials like this were boilerplate during the era of the USSR.  Maybe the same PR firm is running things.

if it was, no announcement would have been made at all...

[Wretched Excess]

if it was, no announcement would have been made at all...

or they would have blamed it on us.

[Wretched Excess]

It is, worse than drowning, chest hurts like hell, then, as you go out, the pain faids and you think "Well, this is lt. Stupid way to die." Then, if you're very lucky (like me) the EMT's keep you clicking, if unconsious, until you reach the hospital.

I think it's worse than that.  dying in an atmosphere of fire retardant chemicals like halon is agonizing. 

I was playing around on google earth the other day, and for some reason I found myself looking at russian navy bases.  their fleet is rotting at the pier.

[NHSparky]

Another reason why we never went with Halon-type systems on our boats.

[Wretched Excess]

Another reason why we never went with Halon-type systems on our boats.

what did we go with?  as a navy brat, I should probably know this . . . .

[NHSparky]

what did we go with?  as a navy brat, I should probably know this . . . .

Water--always have, probably always will.  I know skimmers have some very limited uses of Halon but even they're getting away from that.  We've had the "vari-nozzle" since the late 80's/early 90's.  Took the place of the old nozzle and spray attachment.  Very effective as long as header pressure was about 80 psi or higher.  Not worth a shit below that. 

Boats, like skimmers, had basically 3 types of fire extinguishers: AFFF (aqueous film forming foam), PKP (Purple K-potassium-Powder), which when used together are extremely effective on oil/fuel fires, and CO2.  Basic rule of thumb was that if you can't put it out with two fire extinguishers you need hoses, which is why they ALWAYS got rigged out, regardless of fire size.  Period.

[Wretched Excess]

Water--always have, probably always will.  I know skimmers have some very limited uses of Halon but even they're getting away from that.  We've had the "vari-nozzle" since the late 80's/early 90's.  Took the place of the old nozzle and spray attachment.  Very effective as long as header pressure was about 80 psi or higher.  Not worth a shit below that. 

Boats, like skimmers, had basically 3 types of fire extinguishers: AFFF (aqueous film forming foam), PKP (Purple K-potassium-Powder), which when used together are extremely effective on oil/fuel fires, and CO2.  Basic rule of thumb was that if you can't put it out with two fire extinguishers you need hoses, which is why they ALWAYS got rigged out, regardless of fire size.  Period.

good post.  thanks for the info.

[TheSarge]

I'm guessing we're going to see more of tis type of accident as Russia tries to scrape the rust off of their fleet and put it back to see.

It's the penalty for letting all of those subs sit in port with no maintenance program.

Putin needs to do something about it if he wants to continue his plan for the second coming of the USSR

[Crazy Horse]

Another reason why we never went with Halon-type systems on our boats.

A lot of the older ships had Halon 1301 systems.

On ships the combination of PKP and AFFF would never happen as there was never enough PKP on a ship to be used with the amount of AFFF in a Fuel oil fire. There were many differnces on how fires were fought between ships and subs.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Sounds like a damn crappy way to go to me...

It's not like there is really any clean way to check out on a pigboat.

[NHSparky]

A lot of the older ships had Halon 1301 systems.

On ships the combination of PKP and AFFF would never happen as there was never enough PKP on a ship to be used with the amount of AFFF in a Fuel oil fire. There were many differnces on how fires were fought between ships and subs.

CH--I said LIMITED uses of Halon, such as magazines, etc.  And even then we got rid of most of the stuff by the late 90's because of the greenhouse gas issue, much like Freon, etc. 

And you'd be amazed the size of fire you could put out with 1 AFFF working with a PKP.  Use the PKP to knock down the flames, and hit the sides of the wall/bilge with AFFF and let it cover/cool the fire.  Yes, reflash was a problem, especially with the PKP.

I read from Naval Safety Center way back in the day anyway that less than 2 percent of all boat fires were oil/fuel related.  The vast majority were electrical.

[NHSparky]

It's not like there is really any clean way to check out on a pigboat.

Sure there is--implosion.  Pass crush depth and the debate is whether you'd live long enough to drown.  We pretty well figured out we wouldn't because we'd either 1--turn to crispy critters from the adiabatic compression where all the oil vapor, etc, ignites, or 2--all the crap crushing around us would hit/crush/kill us first anyway.

[DumbAss Tanker]

I said clean, not quick.  There's all kinds of quick ways.

  

[NHSparky]

I said clean, not quick.  There's all kinds of quick ways.

  

As opposed to an RPG-7 or sabot round punching through armor plate? 

[JohnMatrix]

I'm guessing we're going to see more of tis type of accident as Russia tries to scrape the rust off of their fleet and put it back to see.

It's the penalty for letting all of those subs sit in port with no maintenance program.

Putin needs to do something about it if he wants to continue his plan for the second coming of the USSR

except it was a newly launched sub undergoing sea trials.

[DumbAss Tanker]

While I could tell you some real ugly, tear-jerking stories about that, I'll just stick with saying that us ground combat types generally die of massive coronaries in the chow line, going back for thirds of the barbecued baby back ribs.

[TheSarge]

except it was a newly launched sub undergoing sea trials.

You suck at being a Communist appeaser matrix.

Construction of the Nerpa, an Akula II class attack submarine, started in 1991 but was suspended for years because of a shortage of funding, they said. Testing on the submarine began last month and it submerged for the first time last week.

I stand behind what I said.  18 year old sub sitting there with little or no upkeep due to lack of funds.

This wasn't a "new" sub that had just finished going through the assembly process.


Hope that jerking knee of yours didn't give you a concussion.
 

[JohnMatrix]

You suck at being a Communist appeaser matrix.


I stand behind what I said.  18 year old sub sitting there with little or no upkeep due to lack of funds.

This wasn't a "new" sub that had just finished going through the assembly process.


Hope that jerking knee of yours didn't give you a concussion.
 

ok, so a submarine that is finally completed and launched is an old, rusting (even though it wasn't in the water) hulk that was really sitting in the water with no maintenance program, right?

I must say it is pretty funny when you explode like that.

[NHSparky]

except it was a newly launched sub undergoing sea trials.

No it wasn't.  It was originally launched in 1991 and sat next to the pier for 16 years before they brought it out of mothballs.