20 killed in submarine accident

MOSCOW—India’s navy was supposed to lease the brand-new Russian nuclear submarine that suffered an accident over the weekend which killed 20 people, news reports said today.
An Indian naval spokesman would not comment today on leasing this or any submarine from Russia, but his boss has said previously that India was interested.

The Akula-class sub was undergoing trials in the Sea of Japan when its fire-extinguishing system activated in error—spewing Freon gas that suffocated the victims and injured 21 others.
Russia’s navy said the submarine itself was not damaged in Saturday’s accident and returned to its Pacific coast port yesterday under its own power.
Russia’s top business dailies, Kommersant and Vedomosti, reported today that the Nerpa was to be handed over to India’s navy next year under a 10-year, $650-million (U.S.) lease.
India previously leased a nuclear-powered submarine from the Soviet Union in 1988-1991, and India’s navy chief, Admiral Suresh Mehta, was quoted as saying that India was negotiating with Moscow to lease two Russian nuclear submarines—the first of which could arrive next year.
Armed with cruise missiles capable of hitting targets 3,000 km away, Akula-class subs are considered the quietest and deadliest of Russian attack submarines.
A sub of that class will dramatically bolster India’s navy capability.
Indian news reports said today the submarine was to join the southern Asian country’s navy in August. The Indian Express newspaper also reported Indian sailors had been scheduled to head to Russia later this month for on-board training.
As investigators tried to determine what activated the firefighting system, Russian naval experts said overcrowding and human errors may have contributed to the accident.
The Nerpa had 208 people aboard when the accident occurred, including 81 seamen, according to the navy.
Akula-class subs normally carry a crew of 73.