British Sailors on HMS Portland Poisoned by 'Contaminated Water,' Reports Say

Several weeks ago, the royal navy ship was tracking the Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov and accompanying the tanker Kama as they sailed in international waters near Great Britain.

Royal Navy sailors from the HMS Portland were poisoned by allegedly drinking water that was contaminated with chemicals, according to British media.

The HMS Portland uses a reverse osmosis water system, which purifies sea water and makes it drinkable; however, a report suggests that this time an engineer got the mix wrong. If the responsible engineer had not quickly reported his mistake to the officers, things could have been much worse, the report adds.

The ship docked at Portsmouth Naval Base and the poisoned were taken to the Queen Alexandra Hospital. The exact number of poisoned sailors in unclear. The scientists are currently trying to evaluate damage done to the ship and its water-purifying system.

Just a few weeks ago, the HMS Portland escorted the Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the tanker Kama. The representatives of the ship stress the fact that it was a routine procedure.

"Escorting warships in UK territorial waters and the adjacent sea areas is routine activity for the Royal Navy…Escorting the Russian task group alongside forces from our NATO allies has demonstrated the UK’s commitment to the alliance and to maintaining maritime security," they said, as quoted in the media.