Disaster hit the Indian Navy Wednesday with 18 naval personnel feared dead after three explosions destroyed and sank its frontline Russian-origin conventional diesel-electric submarine INS Sindhurakshak at the Mumbai naval dockyard shortly after midnight, at around 12.10 am.
The Navy has ordered a board of inquiry into India’s biggest peacetime maritime disaster. Sources said the chances of any survivors on board were extremely bleak.
The three explosions — that started with a smaller blast followed by two huge explosions from the weapons compartment that may have been caused by a hydrogen gas leakage and fire from the battery compartment situated directly below — ensured that the 2,300-tonne submarine sank three metres nose-down and hit the harbour seabed after water entered the vessel. The explosions, caused by detonation of some torpedoes and Russian Klub land attack missiles on board, were captured on amateur footage as a huge ball of fire lit up the Mumbai night sky. Both defence minister A.K. Antony and Navy Chief Adm. D.K. Joshi rushed to Mumbai to take stock of the situation.
Senior naval sources said it was obvious from the accident that some of the safety mechanisms on board “had not functioned”. The inquiry will also probe whether standard operating procedures on board were violated and if poor maintenance and human error were responsible. Asked about casualties, the Navy Chief said it was “prepared for the worst” and that “indicators” were so far “negative” on any survivors being found.
Navy divers managed to enter the submarine by early Wednesday evening by opening the hatch, but there was no word on any survivors being found. The gutting of the Sindhurakshak, a front-line submarine among the 15 that India