Explosion sinks Indian Navy submarine

Thursday, August 15, 2013

The Indian Navy has said that two explosions yesterday on INS Sindhurakshak, a Russian-built Kilo-class submarine, have trapped up to eighteen of its sailors. Navy officials have warned the families of trapped sailors to "prepare for the worst".

The stricken vessel sank in its berth in Mumbai with only a small portion still visible on the surface. The cause of the explosion is still unclear.

A fire that started as a result of the explosions has been brought under control and other sailors that managed to escaped received attention from emergency personnel. Divers are attempting to locate survivors and refloat the vessel.

In 2010, a fire broke out after an explosion in the battery compartment on the INS Sindhurakshak, killing a sailor. The submarine had recently returned from Russia after undergoing an overhaul and upgrades after the 2010 incident.

The Indian Navy has ten diesel-electric Kilo-class submarines in its fleet. These developments come just days after the Indian Navy launched the nation's first Indian-built aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, which the navy calls their "crowning glory".

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Sources

"AK Antony laments 'tragedy' of India submarine blast" — BBC News Online, August 15, 2013
"Indian submarine hit by explosion at Mumbai port" — BBC News Online, August 14, 2013
"Indian submarine sinks with 18 on board" — Sydney Morning Herald, August 14, 2013
"Indian-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant launched" — BBC News Online, August 12, 2013

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Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.

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Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.