Russian sub accident kills over 20

MOSCOW : An accident aboard a nuclear-powered Russian navy submarine doing a test run in the Pacific Ocean on Saturday killed more than 20 people, the Navy said.

The nuclear reactor aboard the submarine was operating

normally and radiation levels were normal, Navy spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo said yesterday.

The accident occurred when a fire-extinguishing system went into operation in error aboard the submarine, Dygalo said. He said there were 208 people aboard, including 81 servicemen. The dead included sailors and shipbuilders. It was unclear what activated the fire-extinguishing system or how the victims were killed. The state-run RIA-Novosti news agency cited an unnamed shipbuilding expert as saying fire systems on Russia's nuclear-powered submarines usually use foam and chemicals.

-AP