In the early morning of October 30th local time, a major fire broke out at BAE Systems, a nuclear submarine shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, northwest England.
The fire, described by local police and fire services as a “major fire,” occurred at the Devonshire Dock Hall, the largest facility operated by BAE Systems and the second largest indoor shipbuilding complex in Europe.
Local police said two workers were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation and there were no other casualties. Police advised residents living nearby to stay indoors and keep doors and windows closed. However, police said the fire did not pose a “nuclear risk.”
Local media reported that nearby residents saw “long flames rising into the sky and thick smoke billowing” when the incident happened. There were 200 shipyard workers working the night shift that day.
The BAE Systems shipyard and accident dock was built 40 years ago and is famous for building submarines. It is currently building the UK’s most advanced nuclear-powered Astute-class submarines and Dreadnought-class submarines.
Earlier this month, BAE Systems announced that the sixth of the seven Astute-class submarines, the Agamemnon, had been launched from Devonshire Dock Hall. The nuclear-powered submarine weighs 7,400 tons and is 97 meters long. It is the largest and most advanced attack submarine ever built by the British Royal Navy. The first five Astute-class submarines have been delivered to the British Navy, and the construction of the last Astute-class submarine, the Agincourt, is still in progress. In addition, according to the British BBC, the shipyard is also building four Dreadnought-class submarines.
The UK Ministry of Defense issued a brief statement confirming the fire and said it would work closely with the BAE Systems shipyard and local emergency services.
According to Sky News, according to preliminary investigations, equipment failure may be the cause of the fire. Online pictures show thick smoke coming out of the building’s vents, and it is not yet clear how serious the damage is.