Fire breaks out in China on former Soviet aircraft carrier Minsk
- Once a tourist site in Shenzhen, the dilapidated vessel is moored in the Yangtze and part of plans for a defence education centre in Nantong
Fire authorities in Nantong, Jiangsu province, said on Friday night that the blaze broke out at around 4pm on a “dilapidated aircraft carrier” docked along the Yangtze River in an industrial zone south of the city.
The incident happened during “dismantling and renovation” of the ship, it said.
“No casualties have been reported and the cause of the accident is under investigation,” the authority said, adding that local firefighting, emergency and public security departments were making “every effort” to deal with the situation.
It did not say whether the fire had been extinguished or how much damage had been caused.
Flames on the deck were still raging on Friday night and the carrier’s superstructure had partially collapsed on Saturday morning, according to images posted online.
The vessel is believed to be the Minsk, an aircraft carrier that was part of the Soviet and then the Russian navy fleet from 1978 to 1994.