The funeral ceremony of those who died aboard the Nerpa. An inquiry panel announced that a crew member set off the fire extinguishing system in causing the death of 20 people by suffocation. -- PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS
MOSCOW - A CREW member set off the fire extinguishing system in the Russian nuclear submarine Nerpa, causing the death of 20 people by suffocation, the inquiry panel announced on Thursday quoted by RIA-Novosti news agency.
'The inquiry has established that a member of the crew, a sailor, set off the anti-fire system on board the submarine, without authorisation and for no reason,' panel spokesman Vladimir Markin was quoted as saying.
'This sailor has already admitted his error,' RIA-Novosti quoted him as adding.
Twenty people were killed on Saturday when the fire extinguishing system was triggered as the new Akula-class nuclear-powered attack submarine was being tested in the Sea of Japan, pumping Freon gas into the vessel and depriving them of oxygen.
The authorities said there was no fire on board the vessel. -- AFP
