1 dead in INS Visakhapatnam fire; inquiry on

MUMBAI: A worker was killed after fire broke out in under-construction naval ship, INS Visakhapatnam, at Mazgaon Dockyard in South Mumbai on Friday evening. “The blaze erupted on the second deck of the ship,” said city fire brigade chief PS Rahangdale. Eight fire engines were pressed into service to extinguish the blaze, he said.

According to an MDL statement, a minor fire broke out in “Yard 12704, the first of the class of Project 15 (B) during grinding operations in tank at MDL around 4 pm. The fire was brought under control by 7 pm… One contract worker unfortunately succumbed possibly due to asphyxia and burn injuries and another suffered minor burns.”

The western naval command has witnessed a slew of mishaps, including a major fire and series of explosions on the ill-fated kilo-class submarine , INS Sindhurakshak, in August 2013, killing 18 Navy personnel. Four years later, she sank and rests 3,000 metres below surface in the Arabian Sea. INS Vishakhapatnam was launched for construction on April 20, 2015. The ship is expected to be commissioned by 2021. MDL has constituted a board of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the fire.