New Delhi: Three Navy sailors were killed and 11 injured in an explosion on board the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Ranvir at the Naval dockyard in Mumbai on at 4.30 pm on Tuesday, January 18. INS Ranvir is a destroyer ship.
“In an unfortunate incident today at Naval Dockyard Mumbai, three naval personnel succumbed to injuries caused by an explosion in an internal compartment on-board INS Ranvir,” the statement by the Indian Navy said.
The ship’s crew responded immediately and brought the situation under control quickly, it added.
“The names (of the victims) will be made public after informing the families about the incident,” a senior official told PTI.
As per the Navy’s statement, no major “material damage” was reported. NDTV has quoted sources as having said that the blast “had nothing to do with weapons or ammunition explosion.”
“It was on cross-coast operational deployment from the Eastern Naval Command since November 2021 and was due to return to the base port shortly,” the Navy said.
A Board of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the incident, the statement added.
In August 2013, explosions on-board INS Sindhurakshak had claimed the lives of 18 sailors and caused the submarine to sink in the Mumbai harbour.
The news of explosion onboard INS Ranvir is extremely sad.
My condolences to the family and friends of the Navy sailors who’ve lost their lives.
Wishing quick and complete recovery for the injured.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 18, 2022
Deeply saddened by the tragic news of an explosion onboard INS Ranvir. Condolences to the families of the Navy sailors who’ve lost their lives. May the injured recover soon.
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) January 18, 2022
(With PTI inputs)