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RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 4, No. 208, Part I, 26 October 2000

DIVERS RECOVER FOUR BODIES FROM 'KURSK' WRECK... Following the cutting of a hole in the hull of the "Kursk" nuclear submarine (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 25 October 2000), Russian divers recovered four bodies from the vessel before worsening weather conditions forced them to suspend the recovery operation on the morning of 26 October. The remains, found in the eighth and ninth compartments of the submarine, were due to be flown on 26 October to the naval base at Severomorsk for identification. Meanwhile, a team of Norwegian divers continued with efforts to cut a hole into the submarine's seventh compartment. At total of seven holes have to be cut for the Russian divers to reach those parts of the submarine where remains of the 118-strong crew might be found. According to ITAR-TASS, the weather in the Barents Sea will not improve until the weekend. JC

...AS NOTE REPORTED FOUND ON ONE CREW MEMBER. Quoting Russian navy commander Admiral Vladimir Kuroedov, ITAR-TASS reported on 26 October that a note has been found on one of the four bodies indicating that at least 23 crew members did not die instantly after the sinking of the "Kursk." According to the news agency, one Lieutenant-Captain Kolesnikov had managed to scribble down shortly after the sinking that "all the crew from the sixth, seventh, and eighth compartments went over to the ninth. There are 23 people here. We made this decision as a result of the accident. None of us can get to the surface.... I am writing blind." The agency did not explain how the note had remained legible. Shortly after the sinking of the "Kursk," there were reports that tapping on the hull of the submarine could be heard. Later, Russian officials maintained that most crew members died immediately after an explosion destroyed the bow of the vessel but that some crew members might have survived for a while in the back three compartments (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 15 and 21 August 2000).
JC

Copyright (c) 2000. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. http://www.rferl.org