Naval exercises off Chennai called off

CHENNAI: Naval exercises planned by the Eastern Command fleet for coming Sunday off Chennai coast have been put off in view of ongoing rescue operations to locate four missing personnel after a vessel sank off Visakhapatnam Harbour and also due to a deep depression in the Central Bay.

"We have called off the day at sea (exercises) for the time being since most ships are deployed for search and rescue operations and also due to a deep depression in Central Bay," Naval Officer In-Charge ( Tamil Nadu & Puducherry) Commodore Amar K Mahadevan told PTI here today.

Four Navy personnel, including an officer, went missing after the Torpedo Recovery Vessel sank last night killing one sailor. Twenty three others were rescued. A full scale search is underway to trace the four missing personnel.

An official release said the event (exercises) stood cancelled due to "operational exigencies."

The Navy was to take mediapersons on board ships of the Eastern Fleet to witness the exercises.