A former Soviet aircraft carrier, the Minsk, caught fire during renovations over the weekend, raising concerns about the future of a planned military theme park in China’s Jiangsu province, CNN reports.
The blaze erupted on Friday afternoon, sending thick plumes of smoke billowing from the vessel, which was anchored in a lagoon near the Yangtze River in Nantong. The fire raged for nearly 24 hours before it was extinguished, leaving significant damage to the ship’s superstructure and charred metal on its hull.
While authorities confirmed that no casualties were reported, the cause of the fire is currently under investigation. The Minsk, which served as the main attraction of a now defunct theme park in southern China for 16 years, was undergoing renovations to become the centerpiece of a new military theme park.
However, the fire has cast doubt over the project’s future.
The Minsk, once part of the Soviet Pacific Fleet, was one of four Kiev-class aircraft carriers built by the Soviet Union between 1970 and 1987. The 896-foot ship, with a displacement of about 42,000 tons, could carry up to a dozen fighter jets and helicopters.
After serving in the Soviet Navy, the Minsk was retired in 1993 and sold to a South Korean company for scrap. However, environmental concerns led to its sale to a Chinese company. The ship was eventually transferred to developers who created the Minsk World theme park in Shenzhen, which opened in 2000. The park later closed in 2016 due to financial troubles, and the Minsk was moved to its current location in Nantong.
The fire comes as another former Kiev-class carrier, the Kiev, now serves as an attraction at the Binhai Aircraft Carrier Theme Park in Tianjin. The final ship of the class, the Baku, remains in service and is currently a flagship of the Indian Navy after being refurbished and commissioned as the INS Vikramaditya in 2013.
