BEIJING. May 5 (Interfax-China) - The crew of the Chinese military submarine which recently sank off the coast of China in the Yellow Sea most likely died as a result of a fire, military experts in Beijing told Interfax.
The fire could have been caused by problems with the electrical system or by a torpedo, they said.
The information released by the Chinese news agency Xinhua on May 2 mentions "mechanical problems" as leading to the submarine's sinking and the death of the 70 people aboard.
"Debris from the submarine has been taken to port," Xinhua reported. The name of the port was not given.
Xinhua did not give any details on the death of the submarine's crew, the date of the tragedy or the class of the sub.
Military experts believe that the vessel involved was a Ming class submarine (Type 035). China launched the production of these subs in the 1970s on the basis of the Romeo submarine using Soviet and German designs. The sub was designed to patrol coastal areas.
Military experts have determined several possible causes for the tragedy. The most probable cause is fire aboard the sub, which could have resulted from electrical problems or an explosion of ammunition (a torpedo or a mine). Experts have not ruled out that the crew's death was caused by poisoning from toxic substances.
"The Chinese authorities apparently do not have a complete picture of what happened aboard the sub. Time is needed for an investigation, and the results will probably be made public," a military analyst told Interfax.
The fact that information on the incident was made public indicates a major change in the Chinese administration's approach to the issue of "secrecy" in the military sphere. "It was not long ago that all such incidents were top secret information," the source told Interfax.