14 August 2013

Indian Sailors Dead After Submarine Explosion In Mumbai

An unspecified number of Indian sailors have died after an explosion and fire on a navy submarine at a dockyard in Mumbai, authorities said Wednesday.

Rescue efforts are under way at the scene following the blast and "major fire" early Wednesday on the INS Sindhurakshak, the defense ministry said in a statement.

Defense Minister A.K. Antony later said that some officers had lost their lives, but he didn't give any details on how many had died. The Russian-built submarine has mostly sunk from the damage, the defense ministry said, and only a part of it is visible. About 18 people were on board the vessel at the time of the blast, it said.

Images carried showed the night sky over the port area lighted up by the explosion and blaze, which began shortly after midnight.
 
Navy and civilian firefighters were called into action at Mumbai's naval dockyard to tackle the flames and rescue survivors. By Wednesday afternoon, the navy had taken sole responsibility for the rescue effort, Mumbai fire chief Suhas Joshi said.

An inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the explosion, the defense ministry said.



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