Russian defense chief says there are survivors of navy fire
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Some crew members have survived a fire that killed 14 sailors onboard one of the Russian navy's deep-sea research submersibles, the nation's defense minister said Wednesday.
Sergei Shoigu didn't specify how many crew members were rescued from Monday's fire. Speaking at the navy's Arctic base of Severomorsk, he praised the vessel's crew for "heroic" action, saying they sacrificed their lives to rescue a civilian expert and save the ship after the fire erupted.
Details were scarce about the incident on the ship, which was on a mission to measure sea depths in Russia's territorial waters in the Barents Sea. The Defense Ministry said the seamen were killed by toxic fumes from the blaze, but did not specify how many crew members were aboard.
The ministry didn't name the vessel, but Russian media reported it was the country's most secret submersible, a nuclear-powered research submarine called the Losharik intended for sensitive missions at great depths.
