Sub on fire off Irish coast

2004-10-05 20:10

London - Fire broke out on a Canadian submarine while it was submerged off the coast of Ireland on Tuesday, the British military said, triggering a full-scale military rescue operation.

Three crew members of the Chicoutimi, a non-nuclear-powered submarine originally built for the British fleet, suffered minor injuries, said a Canadian navy spokesperson.

The submarine sent out a distress signal from 100 nautical miles (180 kilometers) northwest of Ireland.

"She has suffered an electrical fire on board, which has resulted in smoke throughout the vessel," said a spokesperson at the Clyde navy base at Faslane in Scotland.

"She is now on the surface and everything appears to be all right."

"There are three casualties with smoke inhalation, but nothing life-threatening."

About 50 people were thought to be aboard the vessel, which was only formally handed over to the Canadians last week in a ceremony in Scotland.

Continue its journey

The spokesperson said it was too early to establish whether the Chicoutimi would be able to continue its journey, and added that smoke damage could cause the total evacuation of all non-essential crew.

The Royal Navy and Air Force responded to the crisis with a massive rescue operation including air and sea support.

The HMCS Chicoutimi, an Upholder Class diesel-electric-propelled submarine, is one of four built for the British Royal Navy in the 1980s before being sold in refitted form to Canada in 2000.

Its official handover only took place on Saturday at a ceremony at Faslane.

British and Canadian military leaders oversaw the ceremony to rename the conventional submarine, which was previously called HMS Upholder.

The vessel was on its way to Halifax, in the eastern Canadian province of Nova Scotia, when the fire broke out.

- AFP