BEIJING: A fire erupted on the former Soviet aircraft carrier Minsk in China’s Yangtze River, as the vessel was undergoing renovations. The incident occurred at approximately 4:00 p.m. local time, according to reports from The Paper, a Chinese newspaper.
The fire broke out during repair work on the aircraft carrier, which was purchased by Chinese entrepreneurs in 1998. The Su-Tong Science & Technology Park fire and rescue team, the first to report the blaze, managed to extinguish the fire without any reported injuries. The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed.
The Minsk, originally a Soviet Navy aircraft carrier, was decommissioned in 1993 and sold to South Korea’s Daewoo Heavy Industries Group. The ship was subsequently acquired by a Chinese company in 1998, which transformed it into a military-themed attraction located in the Yantian district of Shenzhen.
In January 2013, the Dalian Yongjia Group took over the Minsk and entered into a partnership to develop it into a tourist destination. This agreement included the creation of a science and technology industrial park surrounding the carrier. In 2016, the vessel was moved from Shenzhen to Nantong, where it was repositioned at the Su-Tong Science & Technology Park.
The aircraft carrier was repurposed to serve as a museum and tourist attraction, featuring exhibits on its military history, cabins, combat posts, and displays related to the construction of aircraft carriers. A special berth was constructed to accommodate the ship, with facilities including a lobby and cinema hall situated in the hangar.
