Submarine mishap: 4 bodies found, hopes of finding survivors

Facing tough conditions, Indian Navy divers today extricated badly charred bodies of four personnel from submarine Sindhurakshak as hopes of finding survivors receded with naval authorities voicing worst fears that others on board could have been incinerated too.
Two days after a series of explosions rocked the Navy's frontline underwater craft, igniting a massive blaze around Tuesday midnight, only four bodies of the 18 on board the ill-fated submarine, including three officers, have been pulled out since this morning.
The "severely disfigured" bodies are so badly charred that on-the-spot identification was impossible, Defence spokesman Narendra Vispute said.
"The damage and the destruction within the submarine around the control room area indicate that the feasibility of locating bodies of the personnel in the forward part of the submarine is also very remote as the explosion and very high temperatures, which melted steel within, would have incinerated the bodies too," a release from the Navy said.

"The state of the bodies and condition within the submarine leads to firm conclusion that finding any surviving personnel within the submarine is unlikely," it said.
Meanwhile, the police have registered a case of accidental death in connection with the worst peacetime tragedy suffered by the Navy. The case has been registered under section 174 CrPC relating to accidental death on the basis of a statement by Gopal Singh Rajput, a doctor attached with Sindhurakshak.
Boiling water inside the submarine had thwarted all attempts by rescuers at entering the ill-fated Russian-made submarine till Wednesday.