World News 16-08-2000 Hopes Fade For Russian Sub Rescue who: More than 100 Russian sailors what: Still trapped in stranded sub where: Barents Sea when: Today snippet: A second attempt to save the stricken submarine Kursk early on Wednesday morning has failed, reports the BBC. "Hopes of saving 116 sailors in the crippled Kursk nuclear submarine were fading last night," says a report in The Times, "as a lone rescue submersible was battered by heavy Arctic waters." In the first attempt, the rescue capsule "repeatedly tried to attach itself to an escape hatch on the submarine, only to be swept aside by strong Barents Sea currents." In the second attempt, the submersible again failed to lock on. Further details of the accident were emerging yesterday. As a result of an explosion in the torpedo tubes on Saturday, the front compartments in the submarine flooded with water and the crew are now contained in the rear. "Our hopes are receding daily," says Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedo, Russia`s navy chief, in The Guardian. "Experts believe the submarine will run out of oxygen before August 18. We must act fast... The only certainty is that people inside the submarine are alive and sending SOS signals." [... more]

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