Ten sailors were given a medical check after a fire tore through the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, which has been beset with problems.
The blaze broke out at 11pm on Friday, March 8 and was not declared extinguished until 4.30am the next morning as servicemen battled to control the flames.
Sailors had been reportedly enjoying a drink on their night off before the fire started, causing flames to spread through deck and crew sleeping areas.
The HMS Queen Elizabeth is en route to Rosyth in Scotland and needs repairs to its starboard propeller shaft, unrelated to the fire.
The Ministry of Defence did not comment on reports some sailors were drunk at the time of the blaze, but told the Standard that suggestions crewmates were injured are not accurate.
A statement read: “An isolated fire was quickly brought under control and extinguished and there are no reported injuries.
“We take the health and safety of our personnel extremely seriously and are investigating to understand the cause.
“This will have no impact on HMS Queen Elizabeth’s programme and the Royal Navy continues to fulfil all its commitments.”
All sailors given a medical check were cleared to return to work, the statement added.
The £3.5billion vessel recently pulled out of a Nato drill due to a mechanical fault with a propeller issue.The 65,000 tonne warship set sail in 2023 from Portsmouth.
