More than 100 trapped as Russian nuclear sub stalls on sea floor

An Oscar-class nuclear submarine similar to the one pictured here malfunctioned and was stranded at the bottom of the Barents Sea on Monday

MOSCOW (CNN) -- A Russian nuclear submarine with more than 100 crew onboard has sunk to the bottom of the Barents Sea, part of the Arctic Ocean off the northwest coast of Russia.

The Oscar-class submarine was not carrying any nuclear weapons and no radiation leaks have been reported.

The submarine, named the Kursk, is an Oscar II-class vessel, 154 meters (508 feet) long and nine meters (30 feet) wide.

Igor Dygalo, head of the Russian navy press office, said there was no immediate danger but it appeared that the crew had lost control of the vessel.

CNN's Steve Harrigan confirmed rescue ships are on the way to the area where the submarine encountered difficulties.

The stricken submarine is said to be in radio contact with surface ships.

Admiral Vyacheslav Popov, commander of the Northern Fleet, was directing the rescue operation, the Interfax news agency reported.

RESOURCES Oscar-class subs CNN Cold War Special : The frightening world of nuclear accidents

The submarine had been taking part in a major exercise.

Strategic nuclear submarine

The Kursk was built in 1994 and went into service in 1995, making it one of the newest vessels in the Russian navy.

It is a nuclear strategic missile submarine, which can dive to a depth of up to 500 meters and can carry up to 24 nuclear ballistic missiles.

Russian nuclear submarines have been involved in a string of accidents in recent decades.

In the last major accident involving one of Moscow's nuclear submarines, the Komsomolets sank in April 1989 after catching fire 350 kilometers (210 miles) north of Norway. Forty-two of the 69 Soviet sailors aboard died in the accident.

The Izvestia newspaper reported recently that, according to the most conservative estimate, 507 submarine crew members have died during the 40-year history of Russian nuclear submarines.

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