New Delhi: Two naval officers whose bodies were found inside the submarine INS Sindhuratna on Thursday, died saving other sailors after a fire broke out in the vessel late on Wednesday morning.
Lieutenant Commander Kapish Muwal, 32, and Lieutenant Manoranjan Kumar, 30, were found dead in a compartment after the submarine was brought to the Mumbai coast on Thursday. (Two officers died in fire on board submarine INS Sindhuratna, confirms Navy)
Their bodies, reportedly bloated and disfigured due to hours of exposure to toxic gases, are being DNA-tested.
"If my brother was here, he would have told me, I would have loved to die in battle...this is embarrassing," said Lt Commander Muwal's brother Ashish.
Ashish Muwal shared that his brother had told him that the submarine was not fit to go to sea. "My brother knew the submarine was defective. Everyone knew it was defective. It was sent for trial one last time. It was only for one day and it proved fatal. It is a bad joke which has taken two precious lives."
A battery leak reportedly started the fire, and poisonous fumes from fire extinguishers filled two compartments.
Survivors say the two officers pushed their comrades out of the compartments and were checking to see whether anyone was left when a hatch closed, trapping them inside. Seven injured sailors are recovering in hospital.
The incident comes months after a dockside blast in Mumbai killed all 18 aboard another submarine, INS Sindhurakshak, last August, raising concerns over India's ageing fleet and crew training. Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi cited a series of accidents on his watch while resigning on Wednesday. (Navy chief Admiral DK Joshi resigns taking responsibility for submarine accidents)
The INS Sindhuratna, a Soviet-built Kilo class vessel, was commissioned in 1988.
At Lt Commander Manoranjan Kumar's home in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, no one dared break the news to his mother on Thursday. The family reportedly disconnected its cable TV connection and stopped all visitors from coming in.
"Manoranjan studied engineering for four years before joining the navy. He was the brightest in the family...it is a shock for us," said his cousin Rajesh Kumar. The officer's father has left for Mumbai to bring his body. The officer was reportedly engaged to be married.
Lieutenant Commander Kapish Muwal, 32, and Lieutenant Manoranjan Kumar, 30, were found dead in a compartment after the submarine was brought to the Mumbai coast on Thursday. (Two officers died in fire on board submarine INS Sindhuratna, confirms Navy)
Their bodies, reportedly bloated and disfigured due to hours of exposure to toxic gases, are being DNA-tested.
Ashish Muwal shared that his brother had told him that the submarine was not fit to go to sea. "My brother knew the submarine was defective. Everyone knew it was defective. It was sent for trial one last time. It was only for one day and it proved fatal. It is a bad joke which has taken two precious lives."
Advertisement
Survivors say the two officers pushed their comrades out of the compartments and were checking to see whether anyone was left when a hatch closed, trapping them inside. Seven injured sailors are recovering in hospital.
Advertisement
The INS Sindhuratna, a Soviet-built Kilo class vessel, was commissioned in 1988.
Advertisement
"Manoranjan studied engineering for four years before joining the navy. He was the brightest in the family...it is a shock for us," said his cousin Rajesh Kumar. The officer's father has left for Mumbai to bring his body. The officer was reportedly engaged to be married.
COMMENTS
Advertisement
It Took 14 Years. India To Buy 2 Rescue Submarines For 1,900 Crores Seven Navy Officers Punished For INS Sindhuratna Accident: Sources Navy Finds 7 Officers 'Culpable' in INS Sindhuratna Fire That Killed 2 25,000 Aspirants For Airport Jobs Paying Rs 22,000: A Mumbai Stampede Scare Siddaramaiah Deletes Post On 100% Quota Bill, Karnataka Minister Clarifies Puja Khedkar's Disability Document Has Factory Address, Ration Card Proof When Oberoi Hotel Denied Late Check-Out to Billionaire Michael Dell Huge Fire At Gulati Restaurant In Delhi's Pandara Road, No Casualty "This Is The Final Straw": Elon Musk Moving X And SpaceX Out Of California Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.