A serious nuclear accident occurred at a UK submarine base, official says it has not affected the environment.

The UK acknowledges a serious nuclear accident at a submarine base

According to a report by The Times on August 14, the UK Ministry of Defence has admitted that a "serious nuclear accident" occurred at the Faslane Naval Base in Scotland earlier this year. The UK Ministry of Defence classified it as an "A-class incident," the highest level of severity, which means "actual or likely release of radioactive material into the environment."

The UK Ministry of Defence refused to disclose more details, citing "national security," and only confirmed that the incident occurred between January and April. The UK Ministry of Defence insisted that the incident "did not pose a risk to the public or cause any radioactive impact on the environment."

A spokesperson for the UK Ministry of Defence said: "We take very seriously the safe handling of radioactive materials. Reporting nuclear facility incidents demonstrates our strong safety culture and commitment to learning from lessons. Our government supports the nuclear deterrent force as the ultimate safeguard for national security."

It is unclear why the incident was classified as an A-class incident. An internal source from the Ministry of Defence claimed, "The possibility of a leak was high, but in fact, no leak occurred."

The official name of the Faslane base is HMNB Clyde, located on the west coast of Scotland, and it is the home of the Royal Navy's submarines, including the Vanguard-class strategic nuclear submarines equipped with the Trident intercontinental missiles. Sky News in the UK pointed out that from April 22, 2024, to April 22, 2025, the Faslane base had one A-class incident, five B-class incidents, 29 C-class incidents, and 71 D-class incidents.

The Coulport base, where the UK stores nuclear warheads, also has similar safety issues, with 13 C-class incidents and 34 D-class incidents during the same period. The Times reported that previous data showed that these two bases had 204 incidents in 2022, 158 in 2023, and 175 in 2024.

The Daily Telegraph stated that B-class incidents are defined as "actual or likely leakage inside buildings or submarines, or unexpected radiation exposure," C-class incidents are defined as "a moderate risk of leakage in the future," and D-class incidents are defined as "unlikely to leak but may have negative consequences."

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1840503759399939/

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