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Morning News

Russian Submarine Accident: Kursk's Escape Hatches Damaged; Rescuers Continue Efforts Despite Setback

Aired August 18, 2000 - 9:01 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Developing news out of Russia again on that sunken nuclear submarine.

Mike Hanna now tracking things with the very latest from Moscow, developments at this hour.

Mike, hello. What do we have?

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, there's been a series of setbacks in the rescue operations: a narrowly averted catastrophe involving one of the diving bells, the discovery that the rear escape hatch on the submarine Kursk has been badly damaged. This along with the other three escape -- two escape hatches on the front of the submarine.

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has defended his handling of the whole submarine crisis. This in the wake of intense public criticism. He's returning unexpectedly to Moscow, and he says his immediate reaction after hearing of the accident was to go to the nearest point. But then he decided that his presence would only disrupt the work of the experts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIA (through translator): The very first question I asked the defense minister was about the nuclear reactor, and the answer was that the situation was under control and there was no danger of contamination of the environment. The second question was about the rescue of the crew and equipment, and the answer was there were very few chances for rescue, but some exist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNA: The Russian Navy says it still has not given up hope of finding the survivors, of finding any survivors aboard the submarine, but the news about the escape hatch a major setback. This was the technique chosen to try and gain access to the submarine. But now with the escape hatch apparently badly damaged, then other options may have to be explored, Bill.

HEMMER: Mike, let's talk more about the manifest on board. The Russian government still has not told families of the Russian Navy who was indeed on there. There was a report, though, in a newspaper there, I understand, in Russia. What's the latest on this? And what's the fallout in terms of criticism for not telling people, almost a full week after this accident, who was on board?

HANNA: Well, yet another point of immense public anger. There were, we were told, initially 116 people on board the submarine. Then that was revised to 118. But the attempts of families and relatives and those concerned to find out a full List of the names were continually frustrated. And eventually a newspaper down in Murmansk actually -- reportedly bribed an official and printed the list of those names of the 100 people aboard the vessel. And this is just indicative of the whole handling of the matter, and it has created immense anger in public and may have deep political repercussions, Bill.

HEMMER: All right, Mike, don't mean to interrupt, but Russian television right now broadcasting reports from a journalist who has been to the scene. There is translation along with this. We'll listen now.

UNIDENTIFIED RUSSIAN TV REPORTER, (through translator): They will continue the rescue work until they board the submarine. And today we got some more details about the nuclear submarine. August the 14th -- since August the 14th, there has been no tapping or acoustic contact from the submarine. No tapping has been coming from the submarine. The rescuers are confident that the crew is conserving the energy, waiting for the rescuers to come.

All attempts are undertaken to open the submarine. You will get more materials at 8:00. I don't know what you have on the screen. And we are trying to show the capsule. You can see the capsule. This is a small sub. It goes down to the depth of 100 meters to the Kursk submarine.

This capsule, or Betasca (ph), at the depth of 100 meters, had an emergency situation and it had to surface immediately. An operator was filming the emergency surfacing of the sub. Here at 8:00, you will see how it happened. We had an interview with the rescuers. The rescuers tell what they saw and what they do to rescue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): For several days, we have been undertaking attempts to penetrate the submarine, the Kursk submarine, but it is very difficult; particularly difficult because there are strong underwater currents. And it is very difficult to come to the submarine -- come close to the submarine. We had several times we succeeded in doing that, but we have not been able to do the docking because the rescue hatch platform was damaged. And this is the reason why it has been impossible so far to penetrate the board of the submarine. We are continuing the attempts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED RUSSIAN TV ANCHOR (through translator): At present, the rescue workers said that the platform of the rescue hatch was deformed. Do you contemplate any new variance of penetrating on board the submarine?

UNIDENTIFIED RUSSIAN TV REPORTER (through translator): Yes, from the very beginning of the rescue operation, the sailors and experts engaged in the rescue operation, considered all variants, including the lifting of the submarine on pontoons. But the sub weighs 24 tons. It is 150 meters long and it takes a big project for the lifting or salvaging. This project will be developed. I don't know how much time it will take to develop the project.

UNIDENTIFIED RUSSIAN TV ANCHOR (through translator): What is specifically taking place now in the disaster area. The deep-sea capsule is very close to the submarine. Maybe you will comment the situation which you are watching?

UNIDENTIFIED RUSSIAN TV REPORTER (through translator): The rescue capsules are not working inside. They're working close to the submarine. They have been working there for six days. There have been attempts to open the hatch, but you heard the rescue worker that several times they really docked on the platform. But when they started pumping off the water to create the normal pressure, the water did not stop. More water was coming and it showed that the platform was deformed. As a result...

HEMMER: Some fascinating information there. It's Russian state television there and a live report there from what we believe is the only journalist who's been allowed to go out to the scene there off the Barents Sea there, off the northern coast of Russia, and getting a few tidbits of information, including the problems with sealing that hatch. Apparently, that reporter telling us, that the Russian Navy has been unable to keep the water outside and stopping it from going on either side of that hatch.

In addition to that, again, no tapping, no contact from inside that submarine, according to that journalist who has been out on board those boats. Also, he's indicated the rescuers for several days trying to penetrate that submarine; very difficult with the current, strong currents underwater there at a depth of 100 meters, roughly 300 to 350 feet below.

The hatch, again, is damaged but, again, the attempts do continue.

Back to Moscow. Here's Mike Hanna once again.

And, Mike, the other thing that reporter indicated, that there were some reports, according to him, that the sailors on board may be trying to conserve energy, indicating a bit of a conflict whether or not there was no tapping because there's no life or no tapping because they're trying to save oxygen and energy. Your take on what we just heard there?

HANNA: Yes, this has been a theory advanced by several naval spokesmen in recent days, that the communication had stopped because the sailors were trained to conserve energy, the theory being that if they lie down flat on the deck of the vessel, they will be using less oxygen than if they move around the vessel. There is no confirmation that this is the case. As we know, nothing is known what is going on aboard that submarine.

A reference to, the reporter made, though, of a narrowly averted disaster involving one of those rescue capsules where an emergency ascent had to be made. Six people aboard that capsule. The reporter had earlier described it as catastrophic. So it just shows how dangerous this whole procedure is, Bill.

HEMMER: Indeed. Mike Hanna, live in Moscow. We'll be in touch throughout the morning, Mike. Thank you.

And that live report continues out of Russia. We'll monitor it. As soon as we get more information as to what's happening below the surface, we'll bring it to you.

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