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  • Indian Navy sub sinks at berth after explosion/ 18 aboard.

    Just saw this....

    18 Indian sailors feared trapped after submarine explosion, sinking
    Published August 14, 2013

    FoxNews.com

    The Indian Navy's Sindhurakshak submarine is seen in Visakhapatnam in this February 13, 2006 file photo. (REUTERS)
    18 Indian sailors are believed to be trapped on board a naval submarine after the vessel sank following an explosion and fire at its home port of Mumbai early Wednesday.

    "There are some people who are trapped on board, we are in the process of trying to rescue them, we suspect it to be in the range of 18," Indian naval spokesman PVS Satish told Reuters. "We will not give up until we get to them."

    Indian news channel NDTV said a loud explosion was heard and a huge flame leapt up in the sky. Nearly a dozen fire engines rushed to the dockyard to douse the fire, it said.

    After the fire, the sub, identified as the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sindhurakshak, was submerged at its berth in the naval dockyard with only a portion visible above the surface. The 16-year-old submarine had recently returned from Russia, where it was made, after undergoing an overhaul and upgrade, Rahul Bedi, an analyst for the independent Jane's Information Group, told the Associated Press.

    India has 14 diesel-powered submarines, Bedi said.

    Another navy spokesman told the Associated Press the cause of the explosion is being investigated. The incident took place before India's Independence Day celebrations, and authorities have been on high alert for possible terror attacks.

    Last year, India acquired a Russian Nerpa nuclear submarine for its navy on a 10-year lease from Russia at a total cost of nearly $1 billion.

    On Saturday, India activated the atomic reactor on its first indigenously designed and built nuclear submarine, which the navy could deploy in the next two years.

    India has steadily built up its naval capabilities in recent years, spurred by its rivalry with neighboring China.

    The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.



    Read more: 18 Indian sailors feared trapped after submarine explosion, sinking | Fox News
    Fortitude.....The strength to persist...The courage to endure.

  • #2
    Originally posted by Dreadnought View Post
    The 16-year-old submarine had recently returned from Russia, where it was made, after undergoing an overhaul and upgrade, Rahul Bedi, an analyst for the independent Jane's Information Group, told the Associated Press.
    It was sent to Russia for an overhaul after an explosion in it's battery compartment in 2010. The Gorky's boiler exploded during trials, and now this... Russians really seem to be enforcing quite a reputation.
    Cow is the only animal that not only inhales oxygen, but also exhales it.
    -Rekha Arya, Former Minister of Animal Husbandry

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    • #3
      Very unfortunate, for the officers and men who are yet missing.

      Cheers!...on the rocks!!

      Comment


      • #4
        Very unfortunate. I pray that the sailors are rescued in time, tho latest news are very pessimistic.
        No such thing as a good tax - Churchill

        To make mistakes is human. To blame someone else for your mistake, is strategic.

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        • #5
          Fire-ravaged Indian Navy submarine sinks, Antony confirms deaths

          MUMBAI: Defence minister AK Antony on Wednesday said that he feels sad about the sailors who lost their lives in the fire on an Indian Navy submarine in Mumbai.

          "I feel sad about those Navy personnel who lost their lives for the country," Antony told reporters outside Parliament.

          In a major setback to the Indian Navy, a submarine caught fire after a massive explosion and sank in the dockyard here early on Wednesday, with the fate of 18 personnel, including three officers, on board remaining uncertain.

          The explosion resulted in a major fire breaking out on board INS Sindhurakshak, a Russian-made Kilo class submarine of the Indian Navy, shortly after midnight, they said.

          The fate of 18 persons on board the 2,300 tonne submarine, powered by a combination of diesel generators and electric batteries, is being ascertained, a defence spokesperson said. The Navy has ordered a board of inquiry to probe the explosion and subsequent fire in the submarine, he said.

          Fire tenders from the Naval dockyard as well as the Mumbai Fire Brigade were immediately pressed into action, he said.

          However, due to the explosion, the submarine has submerged at the dock with only a portion visible above the surface, a defence statement said.

          TV footage of the incident showed a huge ball of fire triggered by the explosion lighting up the night sky in Colaba area where the Navy dockyard is located.

          The statement said efforts are on to ascertain the safety of the personnel and salvage the submarine.

          Navy chief Admiral D K Joshi is on his way to Mumbai. The submarine had returned after a major upgrade programme in Russia 3-4 months ago and was capable of carrying a potent weapons package including the anti-ship 'Club' missiles.

          INS Sindhurakshak was not on active duty at the time of the accident, Navy sources said.

          The incident has come at a time when the Navy is faced with a depleting submarine fleet.

          Commodore (retd) Uday Bhaskar, a former IDSA director, said since the rate of induction of new platforms has not kept up with the kind of wear and tear that a submarine would undertake, the net result is that the Navy's submarine fleet is depleting and the operation load is increasing.

          "The fact that the Sindhurakshak (incident) has happened, it is going to have its own adverse impact," he said.

          In Delhi, defence minister A K Antony briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the mishap. Antony told reporters in Parliament that he will be going to Mumbai on Wednesday.

          Vice Admiral (retd) A K Singh said an internal explosion in a submarine could be caused by either material failure or by not following standard operating procedure.

          He said he suspected that hydrogen gas generated during charging of the batteries of the submarine could have led to the fire which could have spread to the missile compartment area of the warship, causing the massive explosion.

          In 2010, a fire broke out on board INS Sindhurakshak leaving a sailor dead and two others injured. That mishap was caused by an explosion in its battery compartment.

          India had bought the submarine from Russia as part of a deal in the early 1980s and the warship was commissioned in 1997. It was the ninth of the 10 'Sindhugosh' class diesel- electric vessels that the Navy has in its 16-strong submarine fleet.

          In the last few years, there have been several mishaps involving naval vessels. In 2008, another vessel of the Kilo class, INS Sindhugosh, collided with a merchant vessel off Mumbai while participating in a naval exercise.

          In 2011, a surface warship INS Vindhyagiri caught fire when it collided with a merchant vessel near the Mumbai harbour while returning from a picnic with families of group of officers deployed on board.

          On its way back, it hit another ship leaving the harbour. Nobody was injured but the warship was virtually ruined.
          May their soul R.I.P.

          And may the Lord grant some wisdom to the lunatic bunch of Indian politicians to speed up various defence acquisition processes.
          Politicians are elected to serve...far too many don't see it that way - Albany Rifles! || Loyalty to country always. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it - Mark Twain! || I am a far left millennial!

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          • #6
            Russia says Indian submarine was fine after refit

            MOSCOW: The Russian firm that refitted an Indian submarine which exploded and sank in a Mumbai dock with 18 sailors on board said Wednesday the craft had been fully operational when returned to India in January.

            A spokesman for the Russian Zvyozdochka ship repair company told RIA Novosti that "certain concerns" were raised when the Russian-made INS Sindhurakshak was inspected by experts at the Severonisk port on the Barents Sea.

            But he said India raised no objections about the state of the diesel-powered vessel when receiving it from Russia.

            "We signed a contract for a light overhaul and modernisation in June 2010, and completed (the refit) in January 2013," the unidentified Zvyozdochka spokesman told RIA Novosti.

            "During the repairs, we fitted a new Club rocket complex and a number of foreign systems on the ship, including Indian ones."

            The spokesman said these included updates to the submarine's navigation and communication systems as well as an overhaul of its power generator.

            The INS Sindhurakshak is still covered by a Russian warranty and eight Zvyozdochka employees were currently in the Mumbai port where the vessel sank early Wednesday.

            "We still have no information about what really happened there," the Zvyozdochka spokesman said.
            Politicians are elected to serve...far too many don't see it that way - Albany Rifles! || Loyalty to country always. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it - Mark Twain! || I am a far left millennial!

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Tronic View Post
              It was sent to Russia for an overhaul after an explosion in it's battery compartment in 2010. The Gorky's boiler exploded during trials, and now this... Russians really seem to be enforcing quite a reputation.
              I wont come to a conclusion so soon without a prior inquiry report.

              Comment


              • #8
                INS Sindhurakshak Explosion

                Rest in Peace...



                INS Sindhurakshak lost in fire, sailors feared dead

                Eighteen Indian sailors were trapped and some killed after an explosion and a fire on a diesel-powered submarine berthed at the naval dockyard here early on Wednesday.

                The blast and fire on INS Sindhurakshak — a kilo class submarine that had undergone a major refit at Russia’s Zvezdochka shipyard — is Indian Navy’s worst-ever tragedy.

                Defence minister AK Antony said crew members inside INS Sindhurakshak had died. “I am saddened at the loss of life of naval personnel in the service of the country,” said Antony. He gave no details.

                Among the 18 trapped submariners are three officers. Those injured because of the explosion were taken to INHS Ashwini hospital where they are undergoing treatment.

                “There are some people who are trapped on board, we are in the process of trying to rescue them,” said navy spokesman PVS Satish. “We will not give up until we get to them.”

                Fire tenders from the dockyard as well as Mumbai, along with a team of naval experts, are carrying out rescue operations.

                INS Sindhurakshak was 15 to 20 metres away from the jetty in the sea when the incident took place.A naval release said due to as yet unknown damage suffered as a result of the explosion, the submarine has submerged at her berth with only a portion visible above the surface.A board of inquiry was being instituted to investigate into the causes of the explosion just after midnight, which was likely an accident, the Navy said.The incident, the worst ever for the Navy’s sub-surface arm, raised memories of the explosion on the Russian nuclear attack submarine Kursk which sank to the bottom of the Barents Sea in 2000, killing all 118 crew members.

                Typically, such a submarine is fitted with torpedoes and missiles. Torpedoes are launched underwater to attack other submarines while missiles are used for long ranges above water.There was no immediate word on the status of the weapons on board the Sindhurakshak.“Lot of things are in very close proximity, there is fuel, there is hydrogen, there is oxygen, there are weapons with high explosives on board,” said retired Indian Navy chief Arun Prakash.“So a slightest mistake or slightest accident can trigger off a huge accident. The question of sabotage — I mean, all possibilities have to be considered - but sabotage is the probably the last possibility.”


                This is not the first time that an incident has happened aboard Sidhurakshak: there was a similar explosion when the warship was docked in Visakhapatnam in February 2010 which killed a crew member was left two injured.Earlier this year, when INS Sindhurakshak was on its way back to India, after taking the delivery from Russia in January 2013, it ran into rough weather near Egypt.A distress call in May 2013 had then seen the Egyptian Navy tow the submarine to its dockyard, where repairs had to be undertaken.Armed with latest multi-role missile system, radar and electronics, the submarine was to be the backbone of the Indian Navy

                Especially because the submarine had undergone an $80 million dollar refit that saw the submarine’s hull being overhauled, installation of upgraded electronic warfare and weapons control systems, mounting of Indian-made sonar USHUS and radio communication systems.

                But naval experts believed the submarine to act as a game changer because the vessel was fitted with the Club-S multi-role missile system capable of eliminating targets at a distance of over 250km.

                The submarine was under consideration to be equipped with the Brahmos cruise missiles. INS Sindhurakshak, a Type 877EKM in Russia, was constructed at St Petersburg in 1997.The submarine was designed to patrol and to protect naval communications, assault warships, enemy submarines, land targets and perform naval reconnaissance.

                INS Sindhurakshak lost in fire, sailors feared dead - Hindustan Times

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                • #9
                  BBC has an amateur's video. It's a pretty big blast!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Maybe mods can merge?

                    http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/cen...18-aboard.html
                    Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

                    Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Just watched it on the BBC and it certainly was an almighty explosion. RIP to the deceased and condolences to their families. Hoping for a speedy recovery to the injured and let's hope the Board of Inquiry find the fault ASAP.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Tronic View Post
                        It was sent to Russia for an overhaul after an explosion in it's battery compartment in 2010. The Gorky's boiler exploded during trials, and now this... Russians really seem to be enforcing quite a reputation.
                        By ASHOK SHARMA

                        NEW DELHI (AP) - The Indian navy submarine crippled by an explosion and fire that killed at least some of the 18 sailors aboard Wednesday had been damaged in another deadly blast in 2010, and had been brought back into service only about six months ago.

                        The latest explosion sent a huge fireball into the air and sent nearby sailors jumping into the sea in panic. It is shaping up to be another embarrassment for India's military, which has been hit with a corruption scandal as it races to modernize its forces.

                        Defense Minister A.K. Antony said some sailors were killed but gave no other details.

                        "It's a loss to all of us. It's a tragedy," Antony told reporters in New Delhi before leaving for Mumbai to assess the situation.

                        Local TV news station Headlines Today showed video of the explosion on the diesel-powered submarine, apparently filmed by a bystander. An enormous ball of red and yellow fire rose hundreds of feet into the air.

                        One man standing outside the dockyard who declined to give his name said he heard a sound like a rocket or jet engine, then a blast. Another witness said the sky turned red after the explosion. Nearly a dozen fire engines rushed to the dockyard to douse the fire.

                        The fire was extinguished in about two hours, but a navy official said it was unclear how many sailors were killed or injured. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

                        The official said that when the blast occurred, some sailors of other nearby units jumped into the sea in panic. He said some were injured and hospitalized.

                        Afterward, the sub was nearly submerged at its berth in the naval dockyard.

                        Another navy official said there has been no contact with the trapped sailors, and that navy divers have reached the submarine to find out whether there are survivors. That official also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

                        Navy spokesman Narendra Vispute said the cause of the explosion was being investigated.

                        The 16-year-old Russian-made submarine, INS Sindhurakshak, also suffered an explosion in 2010 that killed one sailor and injured two others. The navy said that accident was caused by a faulty battery valve that leaked hydrogen, causing an explosion in the vessel's battery compartment.

                        The sub recently returned from Russia after a two-and-a-half-year refit, overhaul and upgrade, said Rahul Bedi, an analyst for the independent Jane's Information Group.

                        Wednesday's accident came at a time when India was facing a shortage of submarines because of obsolescence, Bedi said.

                        The government has authorized the navy to have up to 24 conventional submarines, but it has just 14, including eight Russian Kilo-class and four German Type HDW209 boats. Bedi said five of those will be retired by 2014-15.

                        Last year, India acquired a Russian Nerpa nuclear submarine for its navy on a 10-year lease from Russia at a cost of nearly $1 billion. India also has designed and built its own nuclear submarine; the navy activated the atomic reactor on that vessel Saturday and could deploy it in the next two years.

                        India has steadily built up its naval capabilities in recent years, spurred by its rivalry with neighboring China. But the country's military has encountered scandal as it attempts to bulk up.

                        In February, India put on hold a $750 million deal to buy helicopters from Italian aerospace and defense giant Finmeccanica and its British subsidiary, AgustaWestland, following charges of kickbacks and bribes. Three of the 12 helicopters were delivered in December and the rest have been put on hold.

                        Giuseppe Orsihe, the former head of Italian Finmeccanica, is facing trial in Italy for his alleged role in the payment of bribes to secure the helicopter contract.

                        iWon News - Fatal explosion 2nd for Indian sub in 3 years
                        Fortitude.....The strength to persist...The courage to endure.

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                        • #13
                          RIP to the sailors of the INS Sindhurakshak.

                          (Reuters) - India's navy chief held out little hope for survivors on a submarine after some of its weapons detonated accidentally and fire swept through it. The likely deaths and damage are the worst blow to the navy since a 1971 war with Pakistan.

                          Eighteen sailors were on board the 16-year-old Russian-built INS Sindhurakshak, which was docked at the main naval base in Mumbai when two blasts rocked the vessel in the middle of Tuesday night.

                          The accident spoiled a week of modernization triumphs for the navy, including the launch of a locally built aircraft carrier aimed at giving India the edge at sea as it competes with China in the Indian Ocean.

                          Navy chief Admiral D.K. Joshi said divers had managed to pry open the main hatch of the diesel-powered submarine, more than 12 hours after the incident, and were trying to find their way through the vessel.

                          "Whilst we hope for the best, we are prepared for the worst ... There is a possibility, however remote it could be, of an air pocket. There is a possibility, however remote it might be, of someone having grabbed a breathing set," he told a news conference.

                          The INS Sindhurakshak, which returned from an upgrade in Russia this year, had suffered an accident in 2010 in which one sailor was killed while it was docked in the southern port of Visakhapatnam.

                          Typically, such a submarine is fitted with torpedoes and missiles. Torpedoes are launched underwater to attack other submarines while missiles are used for long ranges above water.

                          "Just short of midnight, there were two rapid and near- simultaneous major explosions on board the submarine, which resulted in a major and rapid spread of fire on board," Joshi said. "It is some of the ordinance on board that seem to have exploded."

                          Hope fades for 18 on Indian submarine after blasts, fire | Reuters

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                          • #14
                            Project 877 EKM Kilo class submarine, normal crew 53, 2325 tons surfaced.

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                            • #15
                              http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/nav...18-aboard.html
                              Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

                              Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

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