A British nuclear-powered submarine carrying two Trident II ballistic missiles was forced to abort a "top secret mission" in the North Atlantic after a fire broke out, reported The Sun.
Somewhere, deep in the North Atlantic, the HMS Victorious, a Vanguard-class nuclear submarine, was conducting a classified mission when an electrical fire erupted. All 130-plus crew were involved in containing the fire, which forced the captain to declare an "emergency."
HMS Victorious had to quickly surface as the vessel was filling up with toxic fumes. Once the 16,000-ton sub reached the surface, hatches were opened to let out the smoke.
After a damage assessment by the captain, the decision was made to return the 30-year-old vessel to the naval base at HMNB Clyde in Faslane, Scotland.
A Navy source reportedly told The Sun that "every seagoing member of the Royal Navy is a qualified fire-fighter," and the fire was quickly extinguished.
A Royal Navy spokesman said: "The continuous at-sea deterrent is unaffected, but we do not comment on the detail of submarine operations."
There was no further explanation about what caused the electrical blaze or the extent of the damage.