6.05 PM Thursday, 28 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:57 06:11 12:27 15:53 18:37 19:51
28 March 2024

Fire kills sailor on Russian warship in Mediterranean

Published
By AFP

A sailor was killed in a fire aboard a Russian aircraft carrier taking part in joint exercises with Greece in the southeast Mediterranean Sea, the Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday.

The fire broke out on Tuesday evening aboard the Admiral Kuznetsov during activity by cargo-carrying aircraft, Interfax quoted a defence ministry source as saying.

"Unfortunately during the extinguishing of the fire one sailor suffocated from the smoke," he said.

The Admiral Kuznetsov was taking part in manoeuvres with Greece, part of an effort by the Russian navy over the past year to boost its global presence.

Fatal accidents are common in Russia's military and are often caused by ageing Soviet-era equipment.

In November, 20 people were killed by gas poisoning aboard a Russian nuclear submarine in the Sea of Japan when its firefighting system accidentally went off.