Cause of “Kursk” tragedy expected to be announced today
The government commission investigating the causes of the "Kursk" submarine tragedy will hold a meeting Wednesday afternoon. Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov, who heads the commission, said a few days back that "a final conclusion about the causes of the disaster possibly can be made already on November 8." Nonetheless, Klebanov said at the same time that three main versions were still considered: collision with a World War II mine, an emergency situation in the sub's first compartment and collision with a foreign submarine.
Klebanov told the press he did not share the view of Russian Navy commander Vladimir Kuroyedov, who believes that the accident had been caused by a collision with a foreign submarine. "I respect Kuroyedov's view, but the commission will announce a version, of which it will be hundred-percent sure," the deputy Prime Minister explained.
He said also "the commission was receiving new data and material directly from the site where the "Kursk" sank. "During the operation to recover the bodies of crewmen we are getting data, which are clearing up the situation during the accident. Anyway, only one version will remain. And it will be a hundred-percent version," Klebanov said.
Thus, one may hope that already in the afternoon on Wednesday 8, the commission will arrive at a common conclusion on what really caused the accident with the "Kursk" nuclear submarine, which sank on August 12 in the Barents Sea and all its 118 crewmen died. At the same time, Interfax reports, the commission has received new information and now Klebanov does not rule out that a final conclusion will be not made today.
Meanwhile, the Russian divers taking part in the recovery operation remain on the Norwegian rig "Regalia," though the operation is over, said Vladimir Navrotsky, chief of the Northern Fleet press service. They will have to undergo necessary procedures associated with decompression during the next five or more days. Since October 12 the divers of the Russian Navy taking part in deep-sea diving at the "Kursk" disaster site have been operating in conditions of high pressure associated with risk.
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