Fire-struck nuclear icebreaker back in business
The nuclear icebreaker “Vaygach” where two people were killed in a fire one week ago is back in service. It will continue to work north of Siberia until its sister vessel “Taimyr” is back from repairs.
“Vaygach” was given permission to leave the port of Dudinka on Tuesday evening to continue escorting of Murmansk Shipping Company’s vessel “Kapitan Danilkin” westwards on the Northern Sea Route, Rosatomflot’s web site reads.
The damaged icebreaker will continue to work in the Yenisei Bay until mid-January, when the nuclear icebreaker “Taimyr” is ready to be put in operation after repairs. As BarentsObserver reported, “Taimyr” had leakages of cooling water from the reactor and had to be escorted out of the ice-covered Kara Sea in May 2011. It has been docked in Murmansk since the accident.
Two people were killed in the fire aboard “Vaygach”. Their bodies will be sent to the relatives in Kursk and Murmansk tomorrow morning. Another person was injured and hospitalized in Dudinka. He will probably be discharged before New Year’s Eve, Rosatomflot informs.
The investigation commission finished its work on the vessel yesterday. An official explanation for the fire has not yet been given, but a source in Rosatomflot suggested that the fire started after a short-circuit in one of the living compartments.
The vessel’s sailing performance was not damaged in the fire and the fire never reached the reactor compartment.
