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A “significant fire” broke out at BAE System’s nuclear submarine shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness on Wednesday, leaving two people hospitalised with smoke inhalation.
Emergency services were called at around 0:44am, with 15 appliances from the fire services fighting the blaze, which has since been extinguished.
Police said there was no nuclear risk but warned residents to remain indoors and keep their windows closed. The BBC reported that a “metallic smell of smoke” was still present this morning.
The fire broke out in the Devonshire Dock Hall, where a £1.6 billion Astute-class nuclear-powered submarine is reportedly under construction. Four new Dreadnought submarines are also being built at the site, scheduled to replace the current nuclear-armed fleet of Vanguard submarines in the 2030s.
CND General Secretary Kate Hudson said:
“Thankfully no one was killed in this serious industrial fire but questions remain about how and why it started. Safety remains a major cause for concern across Britain’s nuclear-industrial complex, and this accident is bound to come with additional costs. An alternative would be to scrap Britain’s nuclear weapons and work with unions to develop a defence diversification strategy that saves jobs and lives.”
Image: Twitter
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