Is it possible they did have nuke missiles on board and the explosions might have caused some kind of meltdown? Maybe that is why they are so afraid to open the hatch.

-- (rescuers@fried.shrimp), August 20, 2000

Answers

This story will make an excellent movie, sort of a cross between Das Boat, the Abyss, and Night of the Living Dead. I hereby claim exclusive movie rights for this plot.

-- Martin Scorcese (deep,dark@cold,and.scary), August 20, 2000.

Just as suspected, they've been afraid to go in the sub because something might have been concealed. Of course, Russian leaders are going to say that the men were dead immediately following the explosion, because they don't want to take the blame for waiting over a week to open the hatch.

Norwegian divers open hatch of stricken nuclear sub

August 21, 2000 Web posted at: 1:36 a.m. EDT (0536 GMT)

MOSCOW -- Norwegian divers succeeded early Monday in opening the rear hatch of a Russian nuclear submarine that plunged to the bottom of the Barents Sea last week carrying 118 crew.

Initial reports indicated divers found no signs of life. Russian navy sources have said they fear that all aboard likely died soon after an explosion sent the giant Kursk sub plummeting to the ocean floor August 12.

The team of about a dozen deep sea divers planned Monday to move into the sub's lower, interior chambers.

The mission is risky because of the possibility that the sub may have been contaminated by hazardous chemicals or materials in the explosion.

Standing by ready to assist if necessary is a British mini-submarine, which was brought to the site above the Arctic Circle on Saturday.

Deep sea divers tried repeatedly without success Sunday to open the hatch. Late Sunday, two of the divers were taken to Russia's biggest naval base in the Arctic, Vidyayevo near Severomorsk, to work out rescue attempt details on a training submarine, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.

Russian authorities sought help from the Norwegians and British after their rescue attempts failed last week.

The Kursk, commissioned in 1995, lies about 110 meters (350 feet) down on the bottom of the Barents Sea.

-- (something@fishy.in.russia), August 21, 2000.

It's very likley that the explosion was not caused by the reactor but by a torpedo. The Russians have been using a new and much more powerful torpedo that is propelled by solid fuel rocket motors rather than compressed air. This allows a much high impact speed and makes the torpedo more immune to countermeasures. Unfortunately, it also makes the torpedo a potential bomb. The Russians almost lost another sub last year because of a premature firing of one of these torpedos and I suspect the same thing happened again. They each carry about a 1500 lb explosive warhead as well as the rocket fuel so an explosion would have a devastating effect on a vessel, as apparently happened in this case. I don't know what the effect of the reactor lying in 250 feet of water is but I mourn for more brave sailors lost to the perils of the seas.

-- Jim Cooke (JJCooke@yahoo.com), August 22, 2000.

Jim,

Do you think it is likely the torpedo could have been sabatoogied? I heard that one of them bastard politicians (possibly defense minister?) wanted some of those Navy commanders dead because they opposed him on certain issues. I think it is very suspicious the way they stalled off the rescue for so long. Now they want help... taking the bodies out.

I bet it is really creepy in there with all the bodies floating around and their eyes popping out. Got to be one of the worst ways to die, trapped in a sardine can.

-- Charlie (the@starkist.tuna), August 22, 2000.

Charlie,

I suppose anything is possible and, given the Byzantine nature of Russian politics, who knows? I'm leaning more toward accident, though, since the Russians have a history of introducing advanced but poorly tested and dangerous weapons and then using their service people to test them.

The "lucky" ones were those who died in the intial blast and flooding. I imagine there were some significant number who were able to seal off watertight compartments and lived for some days until the air ran out. That would be my nightmare.

-- Jim Cooke (JJCooke@yahoo.com), August 22, 2000.