Police say there is no nuclear risk after a fire at Britain’s nuclear submarine shipyard
LONDON (AP) — Two people were hospitalized after a fire broke out at the shipyard that builds Britain’s nuclear-powered submarines, but there was “no nuclear risk,” police said Wednesday.
Cumbria Constabulary said a “significant” fire broke out soon after midnight at the BAE Systems shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, northwest England. The cause of the blaze was being investigated.
Video shared on social media showed flames shooting out from the Devonshire Dock Hall building while alarms blared.
“When I opened the front door, we just saw a lot of black smoke,” said Donna Butler, who lives next to the shipyard. “It was a lot of black smoke, like really thick black smoke, and it was very loud.”
The force said two people were taken to hospitals with suspected smoke inhalation and there were no other casualties. BAE Systems said the two people, who worked at the facility, were later released from hospital.
By midafternoon, police said firefighters had suppressed the fire “and have moved onto dampening down.”
Police initially advised people living nearby to stay indoors and keep doors and windows closed, but the advice was lifted on Wednesday afternoon.
The 150-year-old shipyard, about 220 miles (350 kilometers) northwest of London, is currently building several nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Navy. It is also where the four subs that carry the U.K.’s nuclear missiles were constructed, and where replacements for those vessels, due to enter service in the 2030s, are being constructed.
