Officials in Russia said two people suffered injuries as a result of an explosion on board an icebreaker as it was undergoing repairs at a shipyard near Saint Petersburg on Sunday, October 6.
The blast occurred on the icebreaker Kapitan Kosolapov as two workers of Kanonersky Shipyard were preparing the vessel for the upcoming winter operating season in the eastern Baltic Sea.
The two injured individuals have been identified as welders. Local media reports stated that they were repairing a leak in one of the fuel tanks when their welding equipment ignited a spark that then triggered the explosion.
Despite suffering severe burn injuries, both welders were able to climb out of the fuel tank unassisted. They were later transported to hospital.
Officials have begun investigating the incident.
Kapitan Kosolapov is one of three icebreakers acquired by Russia from Finland in 1976. At the time of the incident, the vessel was owned by local marine services provider Rosmorport.