NS are reporting the Pentekonter 44-113 Paris, one of the reserve minesweepers, has been destroyed in what is thought to have been an accident. The ship was undergoing a shakedown test following an engine change when an explosion occurred whilst travelling in hyperspace at maximum speed. It is thought the explosion weakened the ship's structure causing it to be torn apart. The ship was completely destroyed with no survivors.
NS say telemetry indicates the cause was a weapons malfunction not the new engine though have instructed all Pentekonters to avoid going above 300c for the time being. Enemy action has not been fully ruled out, as a precaution the NS alert status has been raised by Windscorpion to AMBER.
