Fire kills Russian sailor in aircraft carrier in Turkish port

The Admiral Kuznetsov has been dispatched along with other ships to different parts of the world over the past year as part of Moscow's efforts to promote the country's political and military resurgence.Â

 

The fire, lasting about two hours, was caused by a short circuit in the ship's wiring and the sailor died from smoke inhalation late on Tuesday, RIA news agency reported.

 

The accident occurred while the ship was docked in the Turkish port of Aksaz Karagac. It will stay in Turkey until Jan. 8 before continuing maneuvers in the region, RIA reported.

 

On Jan. 2,  the Greek Defense Ministry said the carrier was due to carry out a series of military exercises near the islands of Rhodes and Crete from Jan. 3-11.

 

Russia's navy has been plagued by a series of mishaps since the collapse of the Soviet Union, including the Kursk submarine disaster in 2000 in which 118 sailors died.