A flawed torpedo sank the Kursk nuclear submarine, not a mine or collision, a top official said Wednesday as the inquiry into the disaster neared its conclusion. The Kursk exploded and sank during maneuvers in August 2000, killing all 118 crew members on board. [link] The bulk of the wreckage was lifted last October, allowing investigators to search for clues to the disaster. Officials initially claimed that the Kursk's sinking might have been caused by a collision with a Western submarine or a World War II mine, then pointed to a flawed torpedo. They are now looking at just one possible cause - the explosion of a practice torpedo, said Ilya Klebanov, minister for industry, science and technologies who is in charge of the commission looking into the Kursk disaster. The Russian navy chief, Adm. Vladimir Kuroyedov, said earlier this year that the navy had "placed unfounded trust" in the torpedo, which is propelled by highly volatile hydrogen peroxide. A leak of hydrogen peroxide caused the 1955 sinking of the British submarine HMS Sidon, killing 13 men and prompting Britain and other nations to stop using the chemical. The Soviet and then Russian navies have used such torpedoes since 1957. The Kursk's fore section, mangled by powerful explosions, was sawed off and remained on the sea floor during the sub's raising out of fear that it could break off and destabilize the operation. The Russian navy lifted several fragments of the Kursk's nose section earlier this month hoping the pieces could shed more light on the disaster's cause. Klebanov said Tuesday that the navy had lifted all that was necessary and indicated that the salvage mission will now end. The navy has said it would blow up the remaining wreckage of the submarine once the lifting effort is over to prevent it from posing a threat to shipping and fishing in the busy Barents Sea area.