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NewsScottish NewsAircraft carrier blaze in Fife dockyard

Aircraft carrier blaze in Fife dockyard

Around 40 firefighters are fighting the blaze at Rosyth docks

A MULTI-MILLION pound aircraft carrier caught on fire in its dry-dock at a Fife shipyard.

Firefighters were called to the Rosyth facility shortly after 2.30pm after the section of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier under construction there caught light.

It’s understood no one has been injured in the blaze, which started in an extractor fan in a stairwell on deck eight.

The fire service said around 40 firefighters were trying to locate a source of smoke in the command module of the carrier, which is being built in the dockyards at Rosyth.

A spokeswoman said the large amount of smoke in the module meant firefighters were still trying to ascertain where the fire was, two hours after being called to the dockyard.

Rosyth shipyard is being used to construct this part of the aircraft carrier, which will come with an estimated price tag of £5 billion.

The ship will not be finished until 2016 at the earliest, and may not be ready for active service until 2020.

The project to build two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, which will be by far the Royal Navy’s largest ever vessels, has been plagued by delays and setbacks.

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