By RIA Novosti
Moscow : At least two Russian navy officers were killed when a fire broke out in a warship that was returning from Japan to its base near Vladivostok, a navy spokesman said Thursday.
Marshal Shaposhnikov, an anti-submarine warship, belonged to Russia’s Pacific Fleet.
Officials said the fire might have broken out in the engine room due to a fuel leak.
Navy officer Igor Dygalo said two seamen were killed in the accident.
“It took eight hours to put out the fire,” he said.
The warship has now been towed to the port. It had taken part in firing drills at dummy airborne and surface targets Sep 15-17.
“The investigation has established that a fuel leak had penetrated into the combustion chamber of the ship that caused the fire,” navy spokesman Vladimir Markin said.