Old aircraft carrier, once part of mighty Soviet fleet, burns in Chinese lagoon

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A former Soviet aircraft carrier burned in a waterway near Shanghai over the weekend, the latest setback for the decommissioned warship since its conversion into a Chinese tourist attraction.

The carrier Minsk, which has been anchored for the past eight years in a lagoon near the Yangtze River in Nantong, Jiangsu province, caught fire during renovations for it to become part of a military theme park, state-run China National Radio reported Saturday.

The blaze broke out Friday afternoon and was extinguished about 24 hours later, the report said.

Images on social media showed thick smoke and large flames burning on the deck of the carrier, with later pictures showing extensive damage to the ship’s superstructure and charred metal on its flank below the main deck.

“There are no casualties, and the cause of the accident is under investigation,” the report said, citing local fire officials.

The former Soviet aircraft carrier Minsk burns in a lagoon in China over the weekend.

The Minsk had previously been the main attraction for 16 years at a now defunct theme park in southern China, according to the report.

Recently started renovation efforts to make the ship the centerpiece of another theme park are now in doubt, the report added.

“It’s a pity that a fire has made the prospects of this project full of too many uncertainties,” an official told China National Radio.

Once part of the mighty Soviet Pacific Fleet, the Minsk was the second of four Kiev-class aircraft carriers built by the Soviet Union between 1970 and 1987.

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