The day of the Kursk submarine disaster – level 3

12-08-2000

On August 12, 2000, the Russian submarine Kursk was in the Barents Sea. There were 118 men on board.

During a naval exercise, a training torpedo exploded inside the submarine. The submarine started sinking. When it reached the seafloor two minutes later, there was another, much stronger explosion, in which five other torpedoes exploded.

Many sailors died in the second explosion, but 23 men survived in one section of the submarine. Unfortunately, a fire broke out in this section, taking the last oxygen from this area. All 118 men on board the submarine died.

Difficult words: submarine (a ship that can stay underwater), naval (connected to an army that fights at sea), break out (to start to happen).

What was the cause of the second explosion on the Russian submarine Kursk and how did it lead to the deaths of all 118 men on board?

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