The Mir-1 mini-submarine is lowered into the waters of Russia's lake Baikal on Tuesday. The Russian attempt failed to set a world record for the deepest dive in fresh water.
Credit: AFP
GREMYACHINSK: Russian attempts to break the world record for the deepest fresh-water dive were suspended yesterday after a mini-submarine crashed into a barge, organizers said.
The Mir-2 submersible, which dived to the bottom of Siberia's Lake Baikal on Tuesday, "collided with the barge because of a storm," said Vladimir Strugatsky, spokesman for expedition head Artur Chilingarov.
"Chilingarov decided to suspend dives," Strugatsky said, adding that it would take 24 hours to repair damage to the submarine's right engine. Three crewmembers on board all escaped injury, he said.
Failed attempt
On Tuesday, Mir-2 and sister craft Mir-1 descended to the bottom of Lake Baikal, reaching depths of 1,592 m and 1,580 m, respectively, but failed to set a new world record for the deepest dive in fresh water.
Chilingarov said Tuesday that he would try to break the record again during a series of dives planned for the coming weeks.
Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, although not the largest in terms of surface area. Organizers plan to take samples of the lake bed to test for pollution, which environmental groups warn is threatening the lake, home to more than 800 unique species.
