Fifty-five sailors are believed dead after a Chinese nuclear submarine was caught in a trap meant for British subs in the Yellow Sea.
China denied it even happened and refused international aid. Sound familiar? Russia did the same thing with the Kursk, waiting until it was far too late to seek international help, allowing the deaths of the 118 crew members in 2000, also in August. It is the worst submarine disaster in history.
The secret UK report states there was a failure of the oxygen systems that poisoned the crew, killing them all. The captain of the Chinese PLA Navy submarine ‘093-417’ is understood to be among the deceased, as were 21 other officers.
The UK intelligence report states that the accident occurred on August the 21st while the sub carried out a mission in the Yellow Sea.
‘Incident happened at 08.12 local resulting in the death of 55 crew members: 22 officers, 7 officer cadets, 9 petty officers, 17 sailors. Dead include the captain Colonel Xue Yong-Peng.’
As of now, there is no independent confirmation of the incident, with both Beijing and Taiwan denying the disaster.
The Chinese Type 093 submarines entered service in the last 15 years. They are 351 feet long, armed with torpedoes and are China’s most modern subs. They produce less noise than less modern submarines.
The sinking is understood to have taken place in waters off China’s Shandong Province.
