14 Russian submariners dead after fire on Navy research vessel, Russian media reports
- A Russian Navy research submarine caught fire at the naval base of Severomorsk on Monday, Russia's Interfax news agency reported.
- Fourteen submariners died after being poisoned by burning materials, the agency said, citing Russia's defense ministry.
- The cause of the fire is not clear.
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A research submarine belonging to the Russian Navy caught fire and killed 14 sailors on board, Russia's Interfax news agency reported, citing the country's defense ministry.
The vessel had been studying the ocean floor at the naval base of Severomorsk when it caught fire on Monday, Interfax reported.
The submariners died after being poisoned by burning materials, the news agency said.
The submarine was "designed to study the bottom space and the bottom of the ocean in the interests of the Russian Navy," Interfax quoted the defense ministry as saying.
The fire has since been put out, but the cause remains unclear. The commander-in-chief of the Russian navy has launched an investigation, Interfax said.
Nobody at the Russian defense ministry in Moscow was available for comment. Business Insider has contacted the Russian embassy in London for comment.