Back in the summer of 2000, the world waited in anticipation, contemplating the fate of the crew of the Kursk, a Russian submarine that was stuck disabled on the floor of the Barents Sea. The story was fascinating, intriguing and being reported in real-time during the early heydays of the new newsy Internet. It was amazing to me how big this sub was -- 118 souls on board. The sub was 430 feet long. And lying disabled at a depth of 354 feet. Think about that -- a 430 foot long sub, stuck 350 feet deep -- the sub was actually 80 feet longer than the depth it was stuck at. Nevertheless, all rescue attempts failed and investigation showed the whole crew was dead anyway. Pretty chilling stuff.
The original Wikipedia page lives at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kursk_submarine_disaster
Special note: I am not so hot with Russian names, I am certain my pronunciations are comically off. Please forgive me.
From ChatGPT: The Kursk submarine disaster was a maritime tragedy that occurred in the Barents Sea on August 12, 2000, when the Russian submarine Kursk, which was one of the country's newest and most advanced submarines, sank during a naval exercise. All 118 crew members on board the submarine died in the incident.
The cause of the sinking was a massive explosion that occurred inside the submarine, likely caused by a torpedo malfunction or the leaking of fuel from one of the torpedoes. The explosion caused significant damage to the submarine's hull and systems, and the submarine quickly sank to the ocean floor.
Despite the efforts of the crew and rescue teams, no one was rescued from the submarine, and all 118 crew members died in the tragedy. The Russian government faced significant criticism for its response to the disaster, which was perceived as slow and inadequate.
The Kursk submarine disaster was one of the worst submarine accidents in history, and it had a profound impact on the Russian navy and its submarine program. The tragedy led to a reassessment of safety standards and operational procedures, and spurred reforms in the Russian military and government.
The memory of the Kursk submarine disaster continues to be a significant event in Russian history, and it serves as a reminder of the risks and dangers of naval operations, as well as the importance of safety and preparedness in all aspects of military activity.
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