“This accident was not comparable to the one in 2020 which was an industrial fire, with major flames,” Josselin explained. The submarine, which first entered service in 1993, is an attack vessel used for tracking ships, escorting aircraft carriers, carrying out coastal intelligence missions, and deploying special forces.Īfter the 2020 fire, it was taken to the northern French port of Cherbourg for repairs, before returning to Toulon - the headquarters of France’s Mediterranean fleet - in October 2020. La Perle was first hit by a fire in 2020 while at port in Toulon, with the blaze raging for 14 hours and requiring 100 firefighters and 150 support crew members to bring it under control. While the PLAN is currently developing its nuclear-powered submarine capabilities, its diesel-electric submarine fleet remains the backbone of China’s submarine forces. The cause of the accident was unknown, with investigations being carried out by state-run submarine manufacturer Naval Group, which was in charge of the renovation work. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China possesses both a nuclear-powered submarine fleet and a robust diesel-electric submarine fleet. “There was no risk of radioactivity,” Josselin added, explaining that the submarine had nuclear fuel on board but its reactor was not working. Navy’s submarine fleet is one of the largest of the world, and certainly the largest and best equipped in the world. The incident was described as “combustion without flames” and all hotspots were extinguished by firefighters on Monday evening. A French nuclear submarine that was devastated by a blaze in 2020 has suffered another fire onboard as its repairs in the Mediterranean port of Toulon neared completion, officials said Tuesday.Īround 90 firefighters were called to extinguish smoldering on board “La Perle” which is thought to have broken out in insulation “in a storage area used for food,” a spokesman for the local maritime authority, Pierre-Louis Josselin, told AFP.
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