A French nuclear submarine which was devastated by a blaze in 2020 has suffered one other hearth onboard as its repairs within the Mediterranean port of Toulon neared completion, officers mentioned Tuesday.
Round 90 firefighters have been known as to extinguish smouldering on board “La Perle” which is believed to have damaged out in insulation “in a storage space used for meals”, a spokesman for the native maritime authority, Pierre-Louis Josselin, informed AFP.
The incident was described as “combustion with out flames” and all hotspots have been extinguished by firefighters on Monday night.
“There was no threat of radioactivity,” Josselin added, explaining that the submarine had nuclear gasoline on board however its reactor was not working.
The reason for the accident was unknown, with investigations being carried out by state-run submarine producer Naval Group, which was in control of the renovation work.
La Perle was first hit by a fireplace in 2020 whereas at port in Toulon, with the blaze raging for 14 hours and requiring 100 firefighters and 150 help crew members to deliver it beneath management.
The submarine, which first entered service in 1993, is an assault vessel used for monitoring ships, escorting plane carriers, finishing up coastal intelligence missions, and deploying particular forces.
After the 2020 hearth it was taken to the northern French port of Cherbourg for repairs, earlier than returning to Toulon — the headquarters of France’s Mediterranean fleet — in October 2020.
“This accident was not similar to the one in 2020 which was an industrial hearth, with main flames,” Josselin defined.
He was unable to say if the most recent incident would delay La Perle’s return to energetic service, which was anticipated within the first half of 2023.
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