Firefighters in northwest England on Wednesday fought a “significant fire” at a weapons firm’s nuclear submarine shipyard, which led to two people being taken to hospital for suspected smoke inhalation.
Officials insisted there was “no nuclear risk” from the blaze, which broke out at BAE Systems’ site at Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria in the early hours.
BAE Systems, Britain’s biggest defence company, said it was working with emergency services to deal with the fire. It said one of the two people had since been released from hospital.
“The area around the Devonshire Dock Hall has been evacuated and everyone has been accounted for,” a spokesperson said.
The 150-year-old shipyard is about 350km (220 miles) northwest of London.
The site has built some of Britain’s most significant marine vessels and it employs around 10,000 people to work on the Astute and Dreadnought classes of nuclear powered submarines.