 An Akula-class submarine similar to K-152 Nerpa | |
| Date | 8 November 2008 |
|---|---|
| Time | 08:30 pm local time |
| Location | Peter the Great Gulf, Sea of Japan, off the coast of Primorski Krai |
| Casualties | |
| 20 killed | |
| 41 injured | |
| Accident occurred on board the Russian submarine K-152 Nerpa | |
The K-152 Nerpa accident occurred aboard the Russian submarine K-152 Nerpa on 8 November 2008, which resulted in the deaths of 20 people and injuries to 41 more. The accident was blamed on a crew member who was allegedly playing with a fire suppressant system that he thought was not operative.
Halon gas was released inside two compartments of the submerged submarine during the vessel's sea trials in the Sea of Japan, asphyxiating the victims or causing frostbite in their lungs. The high casualty count was attributed in part to the large number of civilians on board who were assisting with the testing before commissioning. Three of the dead were Russian naval personnel and the rest were civilian employees of the Vostok, Zvezda, Era, and Amur shipbuilding yards.[1] The incident was the worst Russian submarine disaster since the sinking of Kursk in 2000.[2]
- ^ Ren TV, Moscow, 2030 GMT 10 November 2008
- ^ Syal, Rajeev (9 November 2008). "Twenty die in nuclear submarine accident". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 November 2008.