Five Navy personnel hurt in accident aboard submarine

Board of Inquiry under a senior officer has been ordered to ascertain the reason behind the mishap, say sources

Five Navy personnel were seriously injured today in a mishap involving the Russian-origin Kilo Class submarine INS Sindhuratna off the coast of Mumbai. This is the tenth accident involving an Indian Navy warship and the third submarine mishap in the last seven months.

 

INS Sindhuratna was involved in an exercise along the Mumbai harbour when a leakage in the battery compartment of the submarine occurred resulting in five Naval personnel suffering suffocation, Navy sources told PTI here. The Navy personnel fell unconscious and had to be airlifted to the naval hospital INS Ashwini in Mumbai, they said.

 

The sources said a Board of Inquiry under a senior officer has been ordered to ascertain the reason behind the mishap. 

 

A Navy spokesperson refused to comment on the issue.

 

It is learnt that a senior naval officer of the submarine wing was present on Sindhuratna when the incident took place, the sources said.

 

Around a month ago, INS Sindhughosh had a close shave when it entered the Mumbai harbour during a low-tide phase and was about to run aground.