Russia races to save submariners
(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-08-06 07:32

MOSCOW: The Russian military raced against time on Friday to rescue the seven crew of a small submarine trapped on the seabed after its propeller tangled in fishing nets off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka peninsula, naval officials said.

The project 1855 Priz naval mini-submarine is seen in this undated file picture. The Russia navy dragged a stranded mini-submarine closer to safety on Friday, hoping to rescue the seven crew members trapped 190 metres (600 feet) below the surface before their air runs out. [Reuters/file]

The military submarine, designed for research, rescue and intelligence operations, submerged at midday on Thursday (2300 GMT Wednesday) as part of a routine exercise, with 120 hours of oxygen reserves on board, the Russian Pacific Fleet said.

All crew members were said to be alive and to "feel fine," as a Japanese rescue ship steamed to join a dozen Russian naval vessels already at the scene of the accident, a chilling reminder of the sinking of the Kursk nuclear submarine in August 2000 that killed all 118 crew members.

Rescuers did not have phone contact but were in "technical" communication with the crew of the submarine, which can operate at depths of up to 1,000 metres (3,280 feet), RIA-Novosti news agency quoted Igor Dygalo, a spokesman for the Russian fleet, as saying.

Officials said the craft was resting on the seabed at a depth of about 200 metres (656 feet).

A spokesman for the Pacific Fleet acknowledged that food supplies were also running low on the vessel but said the situation was "not dangerous."

The submarine became trapped after its propeller was caught in a fishing net in the Bay of Berezovaya, 70 kilometres south of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the regional capital of the Kamchatka peninsula, Dygalo explained.

"The submarine's propeller snared on a section of the net. While trying to break free, the net wound around the propeller," he said, adding that the vessel was submerged too deeply for the crew members to be able to swim to the surface.

The rescue operation would require a second mini-submarine similar to the one trapped on the seabed, Interfax news agency quoted officials as saying, adding that there was such a vessel in the vicinity and it was being prepared for use in the operation.

Weather conditions in this section of the Pacific Ocean were calm, aiding the operation, rescuers said, and a Japanese vessel, the Chiyoda, has been called in for assistance.

"Fleet command took a decision to request assistance from Japanese colleagues in resolving the serious situation with the AS-28 submersible vehicle," the Interfax-AVN military news agency quoted Admiral Viktor Dmitriyev, commander of the Russian Pacific Fleet, as saying.

Meanwhile, the US military will fly an unmanned, Navy mini-submarine to Russia on Friday to join the rescue, Navy officials said. "The deep-diving submarine 'Super Scorpio' will be flown from San Diego to Petropavolvsk on an Air Force C-5 transport along with a team of Navy operators at the request of the Russian Navy," said Lieutenant JG Maria Miller, a Navy spokeswoman at the Pentagon.

(China Daily 08/06/2005 page7)

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