Canada buries submariner, probes tragedy

TORONTO, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Canada buried a sailor this week who died in a submarine fire that naval officers say was poorly handled by the vessel's skipper.

Lt. Chris Saunders, 32, died of smoke inhalation from a fire on board the Chicoutimi and was buried late this week in Berwick, N.S., the CBC reported Saturday.

Meanwhile, experienced submariners and officials with knowledge of the Oct. 5 incident suggested the fire was the result of poor decisions.

When the Chicoutimi, sailing on the surface in near gale-force winds, experienced electrical problems the skipper allowed both conning tower hatches to remain open as sailors investigated the problems. That may have allowed seawater to pour onto high-voltage lines, sparking the fire that killed Saunders and injured several others.

A second problem may have come from Commodore Luc Pelletier's decision to refuse initially to accept a British offer to medivac injured sailors to an Irish hospital.

Canada's formal inquiry into the cause of the fire and its handling has not been concluded.