Problems mount for Kursk salvage

Some relatives blame the Northern Fleet for their loss

The mission to raise the sunken Russian nuclear submarine Kursk has run into further problems, with a malfunction halting operations to saw off the vessel's bow.

Northern Fleet officials said work stopped on Tuesday after a cable connected to the saw snapped, but repairs are expected to be completed by the end of Wednesday.

The salvage operation is fraught with problems

The latest delay came amid reports that the families of victims who survived the initial blast on the Kursk were demanding criminal proceedings against the fleet's command.

Local media said the relatives accused fleet officials of knowingly leaving the sailors to die from lack of oxygen.

Relatives are still seeking an explanation for the disaster, which killed all 118 crew members on board.

Target unrealistic

The target date for raising the submarine - 15 September - now looks unrealistic and some officials believe the operation could drag on into October.

Motsak admits the operation could drag on

"I think that the barge will deliver the Kursk to the docks in Roslyakovo between 25 September and 2 October," said the chief of staff of Russia's Northern Fleet, Vice-Admiral Mikhail Motsak.

The confusion about the likely date for the completion of the operation follows Norwegian press reports quoting salvage workers apparently confiding that the salvage operation would be pushed back until the spring.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly insisted that it will be completed this year.

Cutting gear

Work began on Tuesday to cut off the submarine's massive bow by sawing through two thick layers of reinforced metal, after initial problems with robotic cutting gear appeared to have been solved.

At least one metre of the outer hull had already been cut when a cable connected to the saw broke.

Only when the Kursk's torpedo bay - which sustained the worst damage in the disaster - is cut away will the rest of the vessel be raised, with cables attached to a massive barge on the surface.

Most of the torpedoes are thought to have exploded during the mysterious disaster which sank the Kursk on 12 August of last year.

Navy officials have given assurances that the submarine's two nuclear reactors will not crack open during the salvage work.

But the unprecedented operation faces immense difficulties, with cyclones predicted in the area for the second half of September.