The Navy fears the worst for the 18 of its men trapped inside the submarine. However, the Navy divers have not given up their efforts since last night to rescue the sailors.
The task has, however, been hampered as the main hatch on the conning tower of the vessel has been fused together by the impact of the fire.
Navy Chief Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi said that all the divers from the Navy have been roped in and they have finally managed to pry open the hatch and gain access in to the submarine.
“The ship has remained submerged for more than 12 hours. The divers have opened the main hatch of the ship, which at present is the only way to gain access in the ship. Their mission is to create two or three watertight compartments to start the dewatering process. No visibility, muddy water, intensity of fire is making the operation very difficult. They can only crawl horizontally as there are no doors. After pumping out the water, the submarine will resurface. It is a detailed deliberate process so time cannot be estimated. All the manpower is being used,” he said.
“Forensic evidence will then be gathered to find out the cause of the first explosion. The three officers who got saved are in a state of shock but their and the statements of the fire-fighting staff will be recorded to find out what they saw initially,” Admiral Joshi added.