Russian criminal probe over sub

The crew were said to have written farewell notes to loved ones

Russian prosecutors have opened a criminal inquiry into how a mini-submarine carrying seven crew became trapped in the Pacific Ocean.

An initial investigation revealed "negligence in the organisation of the submarine's work", said Pacific Fleet deputy naval prosecutor Roman Kolbanov.

The submersible was freed by a British Scorpio rescue vehicle three days after it became snagged on netting.

Russia's navy says it now plans to buy two of the unmanned British Scorpios.

Prosecutors said they were looking at the possibility that rules were broken within the Russian navy when only one submersible was sent out, not two.

Some 20 naval and government investigators are involved, conducting inquiries in several Russian cities including Moscow, St Petersburg and Vladivostok, prosecutors said.

'Elated' UK team arrive home

Some have already been to the port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to examine the affected Priz AS-28 submersible.

Early inquiries "revealed that a series of people involved allowed negligence in the organisation of the submarine's work," said Mr Kolbanov.

"On this basis, the decision was taken today to open a criminal inquiry."

Russian media are quoting defence ministry sources as saying head of the navy, Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov, is likely to be sacked.

He has already seen his navy embarrassed on 30 July by the near sinking of a flagship vessel during an exercise in St Petersburg on the eve of Russian Navy Day.

Farewell notes

The seven-man crew have been recuperating in hospital after spending 76 hours on the seabed with very little food and water.

They were able to climb out of their vessel unaided on Sunday, but were said to have written farewell notes during their ordeal - as wildly conflicting reports about the limits of their air supply swirled on the surface.

Ordeal in pictures Press dismay at state of navy

The vessel was trapped 190 metres (620ft) below the surface off the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia's Far East.

It was too deep for divers to reach, and attempts by Russian ships to latch on to the sub with trawling apparatus failed.

Britain's Scorpio craft was flown to Kamchatka and taken out to sea on a Russian vessel.

With its robotic arms and cable cutters, it was able to free the sub from the vast fishing nets and underwater surveillance antennae it had become caught up in.

Commander of Russia's Pacific Fleet, Admiral Viktor Fyodorov, said they now intended to buy two British Scorpios.

"The (Defence) minister has also decided to buy all technical equipment needed for these vehicles to operate because they are incompatible with Russian hardware," he was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.