Fire occurs onboard French Nuclear-Powered Submarine “Perle”

According to the French LeMonde news portal, a fire has broken out aboard French Navy’s Rubis-class nuclear-powered attack submarine “Perle” at Toulon naval base on 12th June.

The French officials said in a statement that the fire “broke out in the fore zone” of the submarine.

“The intervention of specialized teams, made up of naval firefighters from the naval base, is underway. The Sdis du Var firefighters are in the area, as reinforcements. The submarine has been evacuated, there is no injured.” officials added.

As part of its technical shutdown during her maintenance period, initiated on January 13, 2020, the Perle is in drydock under the responsibility of the French Fleet Support Service. A French Maritime Prefecture of the Mediterranean spokesman also said that that there are “no wounded” and that the submarine is “currently under maintenance in the basin without weapons or nuclear fuel on board”.

In spite of rising fears of important damage, for this strategic asset being built for the French Navy, the damage was classified as “fairly serious”.