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.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
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The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
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