Black smoke engulfs NUCLEAR submarine as enormous blaze breaks out in Russian shipyard

A RUSSIAN nuclear submarine has caught fire in a shipyard, a Russian news agency reports.

Russian submarine nuclear fire@Flashnord•RT.com•WIKIPEDIA

The submarine caught ablaze on Tuesday afternoon

The nuclear submarine caught fire today at the Zvyozdochka shipyard in Russia's northern province of Arkhangelsk - exactly 25 years after another Russian submarine burnt down.

Insulation is burning between the durable and lightweight body of the boat, a Russian police source source told RIA Novosti.

Reports have come in saying the fire is covering a 20 square meter area.

The name of the submarine has not yet been released but reports say the boat is nuclear propelled father than nuclear-armed and that weapons were taken off before repair work started. 

Russian nuclear submarine fireRT.com

The submarine was in for repairs

The area of fire is 20 square meters, burning insulation between the durable and lightweight body of the boat

Law enforcement spokesman

A spokesman said: "The area of fire is 20 square meters, burning insulation between the durable and lightweight body of the boat."

The shipyard said it had no comment to make at present and there are no reports of casualties.

Preliminary reports say welding could be the cause of the blaze.

On April 7 1989 42 crew died when Soviet submarine K-278 burst into flames near Bear Island off the northern coast of Norway.

Russian nuclear submarine fire@Flashnord

The fire could be seen from across the water

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