A commotion ensued in the sea due to a fire breaking out on a Russian nuclear-powered ship. However, this wasn’t the first time issues related to the Sevmorput were reported. Local Norwegian media outlet “The Barents Observer” revealed that the vessel had encountered problems related to a damaged propeller, causing it to be anchored near the port of Luanda, the capital of Angola, for a month in 2020.
A nuclear energy vessel in Russia’s Murmansk northern port caught fire in the sea, according to Russia’s Emergency Ministry. The incident involved a container ship and an icebreaker powered by nuclear energy. Fortunately, prompt control measures were taken, although the reasons for the fire have not been disclosed by the ministry. If the fire had not been contained in time, it could have resulted in an explosion in the reactor. However, it remains unclear how close the vessel was to the reactor.
According to a statement on the ‘Telegram’ app by the Russian Ministry, the fire broke out late Sunday night in a cabin of the Sevmorput ship, spreading to an area of approximately 30 square meters. The ministry reported that the fire was brought under control within about an hour, and no casualties were reported. The statement did not provide details on the cause of the fire or the proximity of the ship to the reactor. The Sevmorput, a 260-meter-long nuclear-powered cargo ship, is one of Russia’s vital warships, also known as the “Black Sea” cruiser.
The Sevmorput, constructed in 1988, was reported to have faced a fire incident in a cabin while it was anchored in the port of Murmansk. The vessel, operated by the Russian state-controlled company Atomflot, which oversees nuclear-powered icebreakers and cargo ships, reportedly posed no threat to crucial support systems or reactor facilities. The Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy stated that the Sevmorput, being the only nuclear-powered icebreaker and cargo ship in the Russian fleet, underwent modernization after its initial construction.
