55 Chinese sailors dead in nuclear submarine accident in yellow sea

As many as 55 Chinese sailors are feared dead after their nuclear submarine became ensnared in a trap apparently set up for British sub-surface vessels, UK’s Daily Mail reported on Tuesday. A secret report reveals that the crew perished due to a catastrophic failure of the submarine’s oxygen systems, leading to poisoning, the British newspaper said. According to the UK report, on August 21, an onboard accident occurred during a mission in the Yellow Sea, resulting in the loss of 55 crew members, including officers, officer cadets, petty officers, and sailors. Hypoxia, caused by a system fault on the submarine, is believed to be the cause.

The submarine struck a chain and anchor obstacle used by the Chinese Navy to trap US and allied submarines, leading to system failures and a six-hour struggle to surface. The onboard oxygen system failed catastrophically, poisoning the crew. There is no independent confirmation of the incident yet. China dismisses open-source speculation, and Taiwan also denies these reports. The UK report, classified at a high level and based on defence intelligence, remains undisclosed. A British submariner suggests that the scenario is plausible, speculating that if the submarine was trapped and its batteries depleted, air purifiers and treatment systems could have failed, leading to asphyxia or poisoning. The British Navy has the technology to absorb CO2 and generate oxygen in such situations, which may not be available to other nations. The Chinese Type 093 submarines, which have been in service for the past 15 years, are 351 feet long and equipped with torpedoes. Known for their lower noise levels, one of these submarines is believed to have sunk in waters off China’s Shandong Province.There is no independent confirmation of the Chinese submarine's suspected loss in the public domain. Beijing has dismissed speculations about the incident as entirely false, and Taiwan has also denied internet reports.