A significant fire erupted at BAE Systems’ shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness during the early hours of Wednesday morning, resulting in two individuals being hospitalised. The incident occurred at the defence company’s crucial nuclear submarine manufacturing facility in north-west England.
Local authorities swiftly responded to the blaze, which was first reported at 12:44am. Cumbria police reassured residents that there was “no nuclear risk” from the incident, though nearby inhabitants were initially advised to remain indoors with windows and doors closed. By 8:15am, this guidance was partially relaxed.
The fire centred around the Devonshire Dock Hall, BAE’s primary indoor submarine complex where Royal Navy vessels are constructed. The facility was promptly evacuated, with all personnel successfully accounted for. One of the two hospitalised individuals has since been discharged after treatment for smoke inhalation.
The incident raises questions about security at critical defence infrastructure sites, particularly following recent warnings from MI5’s head, Ken McCallum, about Russian military intelligence’s “sustained mission to generate mayhem” through acts of sabotage. However, defence sources indicate no immediate evidence of terrorism or sabotage.
The Barrow shipyard, employing approximately 10,000 people, is vital to British defence capabilities, manufacturing both the Astute-class attack submarines and the forthcoming Dreadnought-class vessels designed to carry the UK’s Trident nuclear deterrent. BAE Systems recently announced plans to expand the workforce to 17,000 by the early 2030s to support these programmes and the trilateral Aukus agreement with the US and Australia.
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed its close collaboration with emergency services and BAE Systems to investigate the incident, though the cause remains undetermined at this stage.
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