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Russian nuclear sub sinks on trip to breakers

A Russian nuclear-powered submarine being towed to a scrapyard sank in a fierce storm in the Barents Sea yesterday, killing at least two of the 10-member crew in another blow to Russia's naval prestige and a grim reminder of the environmental risks posed by the deteriorating fleet.

The two nuclear reactors of the 40-year-old sub were shut down at the time the K-159 sank about 5.5km northwest of Kildin Island just before it would have headed into the Kola Bay, said the Navy's deputy chief, Admiral Viktor Kravchenko.

Rescue ships of the Northern Fleet reached the accident site within an hour-and-half of the 4am accident, Kravchenko told Defense Minister Ivanov in remarks carried on Russian television channels.

One sailor was rescued, the bodies of two dead crew members were found and the fate of seven others were unknown, the Defense Ministry said.

The water in the area was about 10?C, meaning a person could survive about 45 minutes in the water without protective gear, navy spokesman Captain Igor Dygalo told the ITAR-Tass news agency.

"Regrettably, there is little chance of finding more sailors alive," Kravchenko said in remarks carried by NTV television.

He and Dygalo both said the submarine's twin nuclear reactors posed no danger to the environment.

Kravchenko reported to Ivanov that measurements had shown that radiation levels in the area had remained normal. He told reporters that the sunken submarine would be lifted from the seabed for dismantling.

The Russian navy's image was badly damaged in the sinking of the nuclear submarine Kursk just over three years ago.
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