Submarine mishap: Navy continues search for missing officers

MUMBAI: The Navy today continued its search for two officers, who have been missing after submarine INS Sindhuratna had a mishap off the Mumbai coast, leaving seven sailors seriously ill.

The process is also on to bring the ill-fated submarine to the Mumbai dock.

"It is taking a bit longer time in towing the submarine because of its restrictive movement. Though it is in the immediate vicinity, it will take some time to bring it to the dock and some more to berth it," a Navy source said today.

The source also said that the Navy was doing its best to trace the two missing officers.

Meanwhile, the condition of the injured personnel, who had inhaled smoke and were airlifted to the naval hospital INS Ashwini, is reported to be stable.

INS Sindhuratna was at sea off Mumbai for routine training and workup (inspection) in the early hours of yesterday when smoke was reported in the sailors' accommodation, in compartment number three, by the submarine.

"Two officials are unaccounted for. They might have been left in the cabin or at some other place as various cabins and compartments are isolated as part of the emergency measures," Navy officials had said.

Hours after the mishap and in the wake of a spate of accidents involving the Naval warships in the recent past, Navy Chief Admiral D K Joshi had yesterday resigned taking moral responsibility.