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| East Asia |
| China sub victims ’suffocated’ |
| 2003-05-05 |
| The 70 Chinese submariners killed in a recent accident appear to have died of suffocation, according to a Hong Kong newspaper with close ties to Beijing. An article in Wen Wei Po quoted investigators as saying there were no traces of an explosion on board the submarine, or signs of flooding. The newspaper report said rescuers found all crew members still at their posts, suggesting there had been no warning of the "mechanical difficulties" which the official Chinese media said caused the accident. China has released few details about the accident, prompting speculation that it may have been caused by a malfunctioning of the vessel's diesel engines, which sucked oxygen from the interior during descent. Snorkle malfunction, engine was using air from inside the boat instead of from the snorkle. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #7 Sorry AP, that was me with the 1st SARS post (I spaced off the moniker - I'm sure you're thrilled. Also had to go to work. I wish the real world would just stop bothering me!) You're absolutely right. It's got to be WAAAY underreported. That's probably why they showed a little leg with the sub mess. ("See, we're an open society.") This is much bigger than Chernobyl, and Chernobyl did not shut down Moscow. But it's a great analogy. And I've wondered how much screwups like Chernobyl hastened the demise of the USSR. |
| Posted by: Scott 2003-05-05 17:44:04 |
| #6 AP, I think that even China could not come up with accurate numbers if it spreads to the countryside. |
| Posted by: Jon 2003-05-05 17:20:45 |
| #5 Strategypage.com has a good overview of what could go wrong on a Ming class boat. They think that the crew may have left the diesels running when after diving and used up all of the oxygen. |
| Posted by: JAB 2003-05-05 16:14:38 |
| #4 I wonder how much SARS deaths and infections are underreported by the ChiComs? 4:1, 10:1? I wonder if this is a viral equivalent to Chernobyl.... Not getting a handle on the epidemic in the beginning and lying to their people and the world hits home when one's friends and relatives are sick and dying. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-05-05 15:54:53 |
| #3 Yes, it is surprising, for China. But these are unusual times. My question is, "could SARS bring down a government?" Beijing is locked down and that whole country has gotta be scared (the ones that know). I sure hope our CIA has a better handle here than it had in E.Europe. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-05-05 15:21:04 |
| #2 Anyone else surprised we are even reading about this? |
| Posted by: Jon 2003-05-05 14:56:27 |
| #1 Sounds like it might have been CO poisoning, since they were still at their posts... |
| Posted by: Fred 2003-05-05 08:10:14 |