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Trapped
By Brishti Bandyopadhayay; Illustration by Shiju George
August 19, 2000: The Kursk, an ultra-modern Russian nuclear-powered submarine has sunk. Its crew has been trapped underwater for over a week now. In fact many might already be dead. By denying that it was a serious accident and by not launching serious rescue efforts in the beginning, the Russian government has reduced their chances of survival further…
The submarine's ability to stay for long periods underwater, is an absolute marvel of science. Actually, this is due to its capsule-like body. Adequate oxygen and food supplies enable submarine crew to survive under the sea for long periods. It's a self-contained little world far removed from the world you and I live in.
This very factor can also prove to be a submarine's undoing. Imagine you're travelling in a sub. Now imagine your reaction if, for some reason, it can't rise to the surface of the sea again. How long can you hold out? While every sub has emergency stocks of food and oxygen supplies, these will only last for a few days. After that, what?
The crew of the Kursk has been facing this very situation for the last one week. While taking part in training exercises last week, the Kursk, sank to the seabed in the Barents Sea, near the Arctic Circle. It is not clear why the accident occurred. In any case, the Kursk was forced to shut down its engine. Since it is powered by a nuclear reactor, once the engine is shut off, it doesn't have any means to rise to the surface.
The Kurskis a big submarine. As big as a football-stadium. It can carry up to 28 torpedoes or bombs to blow up ships, and anti-submarine missiles. Many military subs like the Kurskand aircraft carriers favour nuclear fuel for its tremendous efficiency.
But its ultra-modern look and technical superiority can't do much to save the lives of its crew. A frantic rescue mission has been launched to save the crew, as oxygen supplies inside the submarine are fast running out. "It is clear that all internal emergency equipment and procedures aboard the Kursk have failed, and that the crew cannot escape unaided," says a Russian military expert. "The sub's hatches are sealed and cannot be opened from the inside. The temperature inside the sub must be dropping precipitously, it is completely dark, and food and water rations are very limited," he adds.
The Kursk, was one of a fleet of 22 warships taking part in a military operation near the Russian naval base at Severomorsk. One version for the cause of the sub's sinking could be due to massive damage resulted from a collision with a huge object, which has not been identified. Another version reports it to explosions ripping through the sub's forward torpedo compartment. As a result the torpedo tubes and the front section of the sub were flooded. It is believed that its captain grounded the sub to prevent the situation going completely out of control.
What are the rescue efforts underway? Fresh reports have suggested that the captain and 60 crew members are probably already dead. They were in the first two compartments, which were badly damaged. Underwater films showed massive damage to the nose and front sections. Moreover, the sub is tilted at an angle of 60 degrees on the seafloor, making rescue efforts difficult.
