Stricken Sub Under Tow to Faslane

A rescue operation delayed by heavy seas was finally under way last night to bring the stricken Canadian submarine Chicoutimi to safety.

Shortly after 8pm, the salvage ship Anglian Prince began towing the vessel, which was adrift 87 miles off the west coast of Ireland, back towards the Faslane naval base in Strathclyde.

The Chicoutimi lost power on Tuesday after a fire broke out, seriously injuring three of the 57 crew.

Despite being airlifted to an Irish hospital, one of them, Lieutenant Chris Saunders, 32, later died, and another crew member was said to be in a "critical, but stable condition".

The submarine is being towed towards Scotland at about three knots. If all goes well, the Chicoutimi should make it back to Faslane on Sunday, six days after it set sail from there.

The submarine's commanding officer, Luc Pelletier, paid tribute to his men yesterday: "I have a bunch of rock stars on board and I would sail anywhere with these guys. These guys saved the boat."

Hinting at how serious the blaze was, a spokesman for the Canadian navy, Commodore Tyrone Pile, said it had been a "significant accomplishment" to put it out.

About 400 naval and medical officers have been involved in the rescue operation since the alarm was raised shortly after 3pm on Tuesday, when the fire broke out in an electrical panel in one of the Chicoutimi's passageways.

As the rescue mission continued, however, further questions were being asked about the deal over the diesel-powered Chicoutimi, which was the last of four submarines sold to Canada by Britain for £244m and was only a day into its maiden voyage when the fire broke out.

David Rudd, president of the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies, said the political fallout for the Canadian government could be serious. "We did sign for that vessel before we took it out. Does that mean we missed something?"

But Ray Henault, chief of the Canadian defence staff, said: "This is something that can occur on any submarine, indeed any vessel, aircraft or vehicle we have." The Ministry of Defence said the submarine was thoroughly checked and cleared before being handed over.

The rescue began after a mayday call. The fire had swept through the vessel, leaving it without power, and with little lighting or heating, and limited contact with the outside world.

At first the MoD and Canadian defence officials said it was minor. But on Wednesday it became clear that the blaze was much more serious. Three injured crew members were taken to Sligo general hospital, where Lieutenant Saunders, a combat systems engineer, died. Master Seaman Archibald MacMaster was last night still in intensive care. The third man, Petty Officer Denis Lafleur, was in a stable condition, a spokeswoman for the hospital said.

By early yesterday evening two Royal Navy frigates, HMS Montrose and HMS Marlborough, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker Wave Knight, and two tugs had arrived at the scene. A Royal Navy helicopter carrier was also en route. Conditions were not so treacherous but there were still winds of 20 knots and three-metre (nearly 10ft) swells.

Commander Andy Webb, captain of Montrose, said they had managed to restore auxiliary power to the Chicoutimi, allowing it to be steered. At a briefing in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Commodore Pile said the crew were in good spirits.

Lieutenant Saunders was married with two sons. He decided two years ago to become a submariner and first joined a sub crew this summer.