INS Sindhurakshak: Antony confirms deaths, heads to Mumbai

Indian defence Minister AK Antony rushed to Mumbai in the wake of the INS Sindurakshak tragedy which is feared to have killed at least 18 personnel, after an explosion and fire broke out aboard the vessel. Speaking to the media in Delhi, Antony said that he had already briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the incident, and called the incident a ‘massive loss for all of us’. The Defence Minister also said that he was “very sorry for all the lives that have been lost”. Eighteen personnel, including three naval officers, were feared to have lost their lives aboard the submarine due to the explosion and fire. The navy has still officially classified them as missing, although it has listed their status as ‘yet to be ascertained’. However as this tweet implies, the fact that the Defence Minister is rushing to Mumbai is a telling sign in itself.  [caption id=“attachment_1032663” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image[/caption] Other media reports also stated that the navy was preparing for a worst case scenario as the chances of the survival of all personnel was now very bleak. The cause of the fire has not been officially revealed, but media channels quoting unnamed naval sources, have said that it is likely that the weapons aboard the fully loaded submarine detonated, causing the explosion. The fact that the fire took place in the forward area housing the submarine’s torpedoes has also given rise to speculation that the weapons aboard were accidentally detonated. Debris of missiles and boosters aboard INS Sindhurakshak have been found in the Mumbai naval dockyard, reported Times Now, virtually confirming that the warheads exploded. If this is indeed the case, it is unlikely that the vessel, which recently underwent a $18 million revamp in Russia, will ever see action again. Times Now reported that two thirds of the submarine was destroyed, and it was currently lying around 2-3 metres under water. If the navy does indeed lose the vessel, it will be a massive loss. The incident took place a little after midnight on Wednesday. At least 16 fire tenders of Mumbai Fire Brigade and Mumbai Port Trust were rushed to assist the naval fire brigade to douse the fire, the smoke emanating from which could be seen in many parts of south Mumbai. A fire brigade official said the blaze had been brought under control at around 3 am and was prevented from spreading to other vessels docked in the vicinity.