Royal Navy's £3.2bn aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales hit by flood

SAILORS onboard Britain’s newest £3.2bn aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales have been battling a significant flood on the warship.

By Tom Cotterill

Published 16th Oct 2020, 11:56 BST

Updated 16th Oct 2020, 13:49 BST

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The mighty 65,000-tonne vessel, the largest ever built for the Royal Navy, sprung a leak earlier today.

Footage shared with The News this morning shows streams water gushing through doors, flooding a room on the carrier.

The cause of the leak has been isolated and contained and the navy has now launched an investigation into the incident.

The flooded compartment on HMS Prince of Wales. Photos: Forcescompare.uk

The flooded compartment on HMS Prince of Wales. Photos: Forcescompare.uk

A Royal Navy spokesman added: ‘Following an issue with an internal system in HMS Prince of Wales, the ship’s company removed water from one of the ship’s compartments.

'No one was injured and an investigation into the cause of the issue is underway.’

It’s understood the leak has come from a pipe onboard the ship and not a breach of Prince of Wales’s hull.

The flood is the second to affect the ship in five months, which is alongside at Portsmouth Naval Base and preparing for her latest voyage to sea.

HMS Prince of Wales returns to Portsmouth on 25 March 2020.

Pictured: View from the Round Tower of HMS Prince of Wales.

Picture: Habibur Rahman — HMS Prince of Wales returns to Portsmouth on 25 March 2020. Pictured: View from the Round Tower of HMS Prince of Wales. Picture: Habibur Rahman

HMS Prince of Wales returns to Portsmouth on 25 March 2020.

Pictured: View from the Round Tower of HMS Prince of Wales.

Picture: Habibur Rahman — HMS Prince of Wales returns to Portsmouth on 25 March 2020. Pictured: View from the Round Tower of HMS Prince of Wales. Picture: Habibur Rahman

Crisis meeting to be held over Portsmouth fire cover

In May the navy launched an investigation after video footage leaked showing water pouring from the roof of a room in the ship’s accommodation.

Speaking at the time, a spokesman for the navy said: ‘Following a minor issue with an internal system on HMS Prince of Wales the ship’s company were required to remove a small volume of water from the ship.

‘An investigation into the cause is now under way, but this will not affect the ship’s programme.’

Water is pictured gushing through a door and into a compartment on HMS Prince of Wales. Photo: Forcescompare.uk

Water is pictured gushing through a door and into a compartment on HMS Prince of Wales. Photo: Forcescompare.uk

Much of the water from the latest flood is now in a containment tank and is expected to be pumped off the ship later today, a defence source said.

SEE ALSO: HMS Queen Elizabeth returns to the city

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A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

The flood is understood to have been isolated and contained. Photo: Forcescompare.uk

The flood is understood to have been isolated and contained. Photo: Forcescompare.uk

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