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Comment by brookst

8 hours ago

I found the story and photos entirely haunting. Those sailers had no chance.

The survivors possibly had a change if Russia had accepted the offer for help from the Norwegian rescue divers right away.

  • From the article

    > Analysts concluded that 23 sailors survived the initial blasts and took refuge in the small ninth compartment at the rear of the submarine.

    > Evidence suggests they remained alive for more than six hours. When oxygen grew scarce, they attempted to replace a potassium superoxide chemical oxygen cartridge, but it fell into the oily seawater pooling on the floor and exploded on contact.

    > The resulting fire killed several crew members and triggered a flash fire that consumed what remained of the oxygen, asphyxiating the last survivors.

    That does not suggest a possibility of a foreign rescue vessel making it there in time.

    • Also:

      "No search was launched for more than six hours."

      "It ultimately took over 16 hours to locate the stricken vessel, which lay on the seabed at a depth of 108 meters (354 feet)."