The CHICOUTIMI incident reminds me unpleasantly of the engine-room fire aboard the Restigouche-class destroyer HMCS KOOTENAY (23 October 1969), which killed nine sailors and injured 53. That disaster was caused by an explosion in the starboard gearcase, the result of friction on a component that was installed incorrectly (backwards, if I remember correctly) during maintenance at HM Dockyard Portsmouth.

The unpleasant fact is that warships are complicated and dangerous equipment, and submarines are the most complicated and dangerous of warships. It's not for nothing submariners are the highest-paid sailors in the navy, sharing a tax-bracket with aircrew and the folks who do explosive ordnance disposal. The good part of this story is that the casualty list isn't longer and the boat itself is still rolling around on top of the oggin.

Lt(N) Saunders will be missed. I just hope CHICOUTIMI doesn't become a hard-luck boat.