15 Years on, Kursk Submarine Tragedy

Fifteen years after one of the worst disasters in Russian naval history — the sinking of the Kursk submarine in the Barents Sea in which all 118 crew members died — the number of Russians who blame the authorities for not doing enough to rescue the sailors has dropped.

The tragedy occurred on Aug. 12, 2000, making it one of the first serious challenges faced by Russia's new president Vladimir Putin. While at the time and in the immediate aftermath, the president's actions were criticized, a poll published Monday by the independent pollster Levada Center showed that 40 percent of Russians thought the authorities did everything possible to save the crew — compared to 34 percent in 2010 and 23 percent in August 2000.

At the time, Russia's rejection of offers of help from other countries elicited outrage among some members of the public. Attitudes to that position also appear to have softened: If five years ago, only 21 percent of respondents considered it the right decision, this year, 28 percent of people agreed with it.

'It Sank'

In a fateful moment that would be remembered and criticized for years to come, Putin told CNN's Larry King: “It sank” — and appeared to smirk — when answering a question about what had happened to the submarine during an interview on the television channel a month after the tragedy.

This laconic answer and the president's demeanor were slammed as being cynical, indifferent and inappropriate for years to come, and further enraged those who already believed the government could have saved some of the sailors.

On Aug. 12, the Kursk, a nuclear submarine and one of the largest attack submarines ever built, was taking part in naval exercises in the Barents Sea. As the results of an official investigation later showed, one of the torpedoes the Kursk was carrying went off accidentally at around 11:28 a.m., followed by another explosion minutes later, after which the submarine sank.

Military officials only registered that an incident had taken place at 11:30 p.m., after failing to contact the crew numerous times.

The vessel was reportedly located at 4:30 a.m. the next day more than 100 meters below the surface. Attempts to rescue any possible survivors gripped the world's attention for more than a week, but were ultimately unsuccessful: By the time Norwegian rescuers managed to open the submarine's hatch on Aug. 21, everyone inside it was dead. Twenty-three sailors are now believed to have survived the initial blast for several hours before their oxygen ran out.

Blame Game

Putin's administration was criticized for a lot of things — for waiting too long to start the rescue operation, for refusing assistance from other countries, and for the apparent lack of concern shown by Putin himself: The president only terminated his vacation in Sochi five days after the tragedy struck.

“They should have raised the alarm immediately. In only doing so at 11:30 [p.m.], they were several hours late,” Boris Kuznetsov, a lawyer who represented 55 families of the deceased sailors, told the Voice of America radio station last year.

Kuznetsov, who is now in his 70s, moved to the U.S. in 2007, fearing arrest after having published a book called “It Sank” that decried the authorities' failure to save the survivors of the blasts.

The lawyer claimed that the explosion on the Kursk was recorded by a cruiser named the Pyotr Veliky (Peter the Great) that was nearby at the time. The cruiser's crew also heard and recorded what sounded like the submarine crew banging on its walls, which sailors do in extreme situations to attract attention, the lawyer said.

The banging, Kuznetsov told Voice of America, continued until Aug. 14, so the experts' conclusion that everyone had died from lack of oxygen eight hours after the tragedy, and that by the time the submarine was located there was no one to save, was deliberately falsified, because the authorities didn't want to admit they were helpless.

“The U.K. sent an airplane with rescue apparatus, but it was prohibited from entering Russian air space. The Norwegians offered help. Everything was rejected. The real reason was fear of showing total inability to rescue people during extreme situations,” Kuznetsov was cited by Voice of America as saying.

Unhappy Ending

In 2001, the hull of the submarine was raised from the bottom of the sea. A year later the official investigation concluded, naming the accidental torpedo detonation as the cause of the disaster.

That conclusion eliminated all the other versions — the submarine being attacked by foreign naval forces, a World War II-era underwater mine explosion, the submarine colliding with something in the sea — that had been circulating in the media for two years.

Not everyone accepted the results of the investigation. Some insisted that the Kursk had been attacked by a U.S. submarine and Putin had deliberately concealed it in order to avoid an international conflict.

Nevertheless, the case was closed and declared classified.

The bodies of 115 sailors were recovered and identified, several military officials were fired and all the crew members were posthumously awarded Orders of Courage. Their families received a total of up to 23 million rubles (about $700,000 at the time) in compensation from the authorities, the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper reported in 2003.

Wednesday 12 August 2015

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/15-years-on-russians-less-inclined-to-cast-blame-for-kursk-submarine-tragedy/527770.html

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1912: Block of wood in propellor led to the death of 14 submariners

Of all the incidents at sea involving naval vessels, the sinking of a submarine while submerged must fill most of us with dread.

Sadly that is what happened to the submarine A3 when on battle trials in the Solent on February 2, 1912. All hands were lost.

The bodies of the 14 victims were recovered from the sunken boat and 13 were buried in Haslar Naval Cemetery. The 14th, Lieutenant Campbell, was taken home by train to Oban, Scotland, to be interred.

It appears from the coroner’s report that the incident may never have occurred but for a block of wood. It was found wedged in the boat’s propellor.

A3 was accompanied by her parent ship HMS Hazard on the trials. Hazard was to steam to the eastern end of the Isle of Wight and A3 was to then attack her firing dummy torpedoes.

A3 was seen for a while off the starboard side of Hazard and then disappeared. Shortly after, something struck Hazard and it was felt it was the submarine.

A hole eight feet long and a foot wide opened up on A3 and water poured into her hull filling her in seconds and in very little time the crew had perished.

On being recovered and returned to the Dockyard, an inspection was made and the block of wood was found.

Water was being blown from the ballast tanks and the motors were switched to go astern.

The opinion was formed that A3 was unaware of exactly how close Hazard was until seconds before being struck.

It is thought an attempt was made to surface as there was little room to dive under Hazard in time.

Had the block of wood not been there, A3 might have been able to go astern and clear Hazard. No blame was attached to either captain.

The funeral took place at Haslar Naval Cemetery, Gosport, with every sailor borne on a gun carriage.

The service was attended by men from every ship in port.

More than 300 wreaths covered the coffins and the procession was more than a mile-and-a-half long.

On May 17 the A3 was used as a target and sunk by gunfire from HMS St Vincent.

So shocking was the incident it was reported in newspapers worldwide, including the New York Times and Sydney Morning Herald.

Saturday 29 March 2014

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/nostalgia/block-of-wood-in-propellor-led-to-the-death-of-14-submariners-1-5967590

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2 missing Indian navy officers found dead inside naval submarine

The Indian navy rescued sailors from one of its Russian-built Kilo class submarines following an accident off the coast of Mumbai, a mishap that brought back memories of fire and explosions aboard a similar boat in August that killed 18 men and left no survivors.

Seven of the crew were airlifted and treated for smoke inhalation on the INS Sindhuratna, which was inducted into the Indian Navy in 1988, Rahul Sinha, a Mumbai-based spokesman for the nation’s navy, said in a telephone interview. Two sailors were missing, Associated Press reported, citing D.K. Sharma, another spokesman.

The nation’s naval ships in the area were coordinating the rescue mission as efforts were on to locate the missing men, Sinha said.

Rescuers found the bodies of two Indian navy officers inside a naval submarine on Thursday, one day after the men went missing following an accident aboard the vessel, an official said.

Seven sailors were overcome by smoke on Wednesday during a training exercise in the submarine off Mumbai’s coast, but two officers were unaccounted for following the incident.

Rescuers who boarded the submarine after it reached port Thursday found the officers’ bodies, a Defence Ministry official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters. He did not give any further details.

The seven sailors who were overcome by smoke were in stable condition at a Mumbai hospital, said Capt. D.K. Sharma, a navy spokesman.

Sharma said investigators were investigating what caused the smoke.

India’s navy has a fleet of 16 submarines, including 10 diesel-electric Kilo class vessels. They have a maximum diving depth of 300 meters (984 feet), a top speed of 18 knots and are able to operate for 45 days with a crew of 53 people, according to the navy’s website.

There have been several accidents aboard Russian-made submarines in the past 15 years. Twenty Russians died on a vessel when a faulty firefighting system was accidentally activated during trials in the Sea of Japan in 2008. The Kursk sank in August 2000 after an onboard explosion in the Barents Sea, killing all 118 on board.

In December, the INS Talwar, a Russian-built stealth frigate, slammed into a trawler off India’s west coast, sinking the boat and tossing 27 fishermen into the sea. All of the fishermen were rescued.

Another navy frigate ran aground near the Mumbai naval base in January, damaging some equipment. And earlier this month, the INS Airavat, an amphibious warfare vessel, ran aground and its commanding officer was stripped of his duties, the Press Trust of India news agency said.

In a Mumbai dockyard early on Aug. 14, explosions and fire inside the INS Sindhurakshak caused temperature to soar high enough to melt steel, jamming doors and hatches and twisting ladders. That was the worst submarine accident in the country’s history and the biggest setback for the navy since the loss of a warship in 1971 during a conflict with Pakistan.

Thursday 27 February 2014

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-26/india-sub-crew-burned-beyond-recognition-3-bodies-found.html

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INS Sindhurakshak: Navy divers still looking for bodies of missing sailors

Even after submarine INS Sindhurakshak sank following a huge explosion and fire here on Aug 14, Navy divers are still looking for bodies of missing sailors in the wreckage of the warship, said sources.

According to a statement made by Vice-Admiral Shekhar Sinha, chief of Western Naval Command the navy divers had not stopped the search operation. "Our divers are still at the job. We are trying to find out if human remains can be found."

Till now only 11 bodies have been recovered while 18 Navy personnel, including three officers, were on board at the time of the mishap.

A huge explosion rocked the submarine, commissioned in 1997, leading to the frontline warship's sinking in what was seen as a major dent in the Indian Navy's firepower capability.

"A team of divers, who had rehearsed with a similar type of submarine, were made to operate in zero visibility and then sent for rescue operation," he said.

Immediately after the Sindhurakshak disaster, Navy did an audit of all other submarines, their loaded weapons and the crew manning them, said the Western naval command chief.

Wednesday 4 December 2013

http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/MAH-MUM-ins-sindhurakshak-navy-divers-still-look-for-bodies-of-missing-sailors-4453323-NOR.html

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Nazi U-boat sunk during Second World War is discovered by divers off of Indonesia - complete with skeletons of its doomed crew

Divers off the coast of Indonesia have discovered the wreck of a WW2 Nazi U-Boat - complete with the skeletons of its lost crew aboard.

Initial researches show it to be U-168, a hunter-killer of the German 'Kriegsmarine' which claimed several Allied vessels before it was sent to a watery grave by torpedoes in 1944.

A team found the wreck, which contains at least 17 skeletons, north of Java earlier this month after a tip-off from local divers.

'This is the first time we have found a foreign submarine from the war in our waters,' said Bambang Budi Utomo, head of the research team at the National Archaeology Centre which found the vessel.

'This is an extraordinary find that will certainly provide useful information about what took place in the Java Sea during World War II.'

As well as the human skeletons, dinner plates bearing swastikas, batteries, binoculars and a bottle of hair oil were pulled from the wreck.

He said further tests were being carried out on the objects to confirm the submarine was indeed 'U-168'. The sub was a type IX C/40 and was launched in March 1942.

Captain Helmuth Pich was its commander on four missions for the Third Reich. He survived with 26 other crew hands when it was lost on October 5 1944 under fire from a Dutch submarine. Some 23 men died in the attack.

Captain Pich lived until 1997 when he died at the age of 83.

In its three hunting expeditions for Allied vessels in wartime, his sub sunk one British, one Norwegian and one Greek freighter. Bambang Budi Utomo, head of the research team at the National Archaeology Centre that found the vessel, said it was unlikely the wreck, 60 miles (100 kilometres) northeast of Karimunjawa island, would be lifted from the seabed any time soon because of its sheer size and the cost involved.

U-168 was part of the Monsun U-Boats which were a group of vessels sent away from the German empire to attack allied ships along trade routes.

Japan occupied Indonesia during World War II, which was then still known by its colonial name of the Dutch East Indies. Germany and Japan were Allies until the end in WW2.

The Monsun U-Boats operated out of Penang, Jakarta and Sabang between 1943 and 1945. These U-Boats were sent to be based in the Far East stations provided by the Japanese but out of the 14 sent only four made it back to Europe.

It sailed from France in July 1943 and arrived at Penang in November of the same year.

U-168 was sunk at 1.30am on 6 October, 1944 in the Java Sea, by a torpedo from the Dutch submarine HrMs Zwaardvisch leaving 23 dead and 27 survivors.

Thursday 21 November 2013

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2511249/Nazi-U-boat-sunk-Second-World-War-discovered-divers-Indonesia--complete-skeletons-doomed-crew.html

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Sub tragedy: Lab identifies 9 bodies after DNA testing, two cases pending

The Kalina Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) handed over bodies of nine navy personnel, who were killed in the INS Sindhurakshak tragedy, to JJ Hospital after identifying them through DNA profiling.

The DNA identification of two bodies is still pending.

The bodies were first handed over to the JJ Hospital for post-mortem and then they were given to the Kalina FSL for DNA test.

On August 13 night, an explosion ripped through the submarine, INS Sindhurakshak, which had 18 people on board.

The Navy Sunday recovered the 12th body from the wreckage of INS Sindhurakshak that was destroyed in a fire last month.

On Tuesday, a solemn wreath-laying ceremony was held at the naval hospital, INHS Asvini, for the three navy personnel of INS Sindhurakshak who were killed in the tragedy.

Wreaths were laid by Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha, the Flag Officer Commanding-in -chief, Western Naval Command, the Commodore Commanding Submarines (West) and the Commanding Officer of INS Sindhurakshak.

Several senior naval officers and men of the Western Naval Command were also present, and paid their respects with floral tributes to the dead.

The ceremony was conducted with full military honours and the families and close relatives of those who lost their lives were present.

Wednesday 11 September 2013

http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/sub-tragedy-lab-identifies-9-bodies-after-dna-testing-two-cases-pending_875702.html

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INS Sindhurakshak: Bodies of sailors identified

Twenty-six days after they met with a tragic end on board the INS Sindhurakshak, the navy today finally confirmed identification of the bodies of Assam sailors Timothy Sinha and Naruttam Deuri on the basis of DNA profiling results.

Timothy, 29, from Cachar and Naruttam, 21, from Lakhimpur, were among the 18 sailors on board the Russia-made submarine docked at the Mumbai naval docks on the night of August 14 when a powerful explosion sank it. There were no survivors.

The duo’s parents, who have been waiting for the results since they gave blood samples for DNA matching on August 17, received word from the navy this morning.

Timothy’s mother Mitra Chakravarty Sinha told The Telegraph over phone from Mumbai that the news had brought relief to her and her husband Vidyaratan Sinha, a Baptist pastor. “Though we could not take our son back alive, we can at least take solace in the fact that we can now accord him a decent burial with elaborate church service and prayers,” she said.

She said she would start for home — Pailapool village in Cachar district’s Lakhipur subdivision — with the mortal remains of her son on Tuesday evening and reach Silchar on Wednesday morning, following which he would be accorded a formal burial, either late on Wednesday or Thursday morning.

The Cachar district administration, according to official sources here, is preparing to accord an official farewell to the sailor, with army and police personnel according him a guard of honour ahead of the burial.

Naruttam’s father Jyotish Chandra Deuri told The Telegraph over phone from Mumbai that the navy informed him about the identification of his son’s body this morning. He said the remains were sealed in a coffin and would be handed over to Mumbai police to be sent to Assam next week.

Deuri, who has been camping in Mumbai since August 15, said he was not allowed to look at the body, as, according to the navy, it was badly decomposed. “Though it was heartbreaking, I now at least have the solace that my son has been identified,” he said.

His brother, Kabinet, said they had already informed the villagers back home — Narayanpur Major Chapori in Lakhimpur district — and preparations were on to accord a befitting farewell to Naruttam.

Tuesday 10 September 2013

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130910/jsp/frontpage/story_17332021.jsp

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INS Sindhurakshak: Six submarine victims identified

The Indian Navy on Thursday identified the bodies of six victims of the August 14 INS Sindhurakshak submarine disaster. The remains were handed over to their respective families.

FSL director Dr MK Malve confirmed the development. "We have received DNA samples of 10 bodies so far. Of them, we have matched six samples and the report has been sent to authorities concerned," said Malve, refusing to divulge any further details.

On August 14, there was an explosion on the Russian-made Kilo-class submarine, in which 18 navy personnel were feared dead.

While Liju Lawrence, Seetaram Badapalli, Rajesh Tootika and Vishnu V's bodies were handed over to their relatives, the bodies of Kewal Singh and Malay Haldar will be sent to their native place.

Since the day of the catastrophe, the navy's focus has been to recover bodies of its sailors. Till now, body parts of 11 persons have been recovered.

“Claimants of only four bodies were present. So those were handed over. The other two bodies will be sent to their native place since their families don't stay here,” sources said.

The bodies were badly mutilated and in the early stages of decomposition. The navy had to rely on a DNA analysis for identification.

The bodies were sent to JJ Hospital for an autopsy. They were kept in cold storage, at a temperature of 2-4°C. The morgue in naval hospital INHS Asvini does not have the wherewithal to maintain such low temperatures, said a source.

Bone and tooth samples from the bodies have been sent for DNA analysis at state-run forensic laboratory in Kalina.

Friday 30 August 2013

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/1881693/report-ins-sindhurakshak-six-bodies-identified

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3 more bodies recovered from INS Sindhurakshak

Three more bodies have been extricated from INS Sindhurakshak submarine that sank at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai after two blasts ripped through its hull on August 13.

“Since the past three days, we have been receiving one body for post mortem each day. The cause of death has been reserved until the histopathology and other forensic reports arrive. The bodies are intact with spinal cords,” said Dr TP Lahane, dean of JJ Hospital in Byculla. Sources at the hospital said that the prima facie cause of death is burns.

On August 19, the hospital had received the seventh body for the post mortem.

The process to identify the body has been initiated. Doctors at JJ Hospital’s forensic department have collected the tooth and bone samples for DNA identification have been sent samples to the Kalina Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).

Dr Lahane said that the post mortem on the ten bodies has been completed and they are lying at the hospital’s morgue.

“We have not handed over the body (to the navy),” said Dr Lahane. According to the sources, the hospital also took X-ray scans of the bones to see if any shrapnel was lodged.

INS Sindhurakshak was returned in January by a Russian shipyard after a Rs480-crore overhaul meant to increase the warship’s life by 10 years.

Built in 1997 at St Petersburg, Russia, in 1997, the submarine was designed to patrol and to protect naval communications, assault warships, submarines and land targets, and perform naval reconnaissance.

Sunday 25 August 2013

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/3-more-bodies-recovered-from-INS-Sindhurakshak/Article1-1112848.aspx

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Divers continue search for bodies in submarine

Naval divers continued their efforts on the seventh day to recover bodies of sailors from INS Sindhurakshak, which was rocked by blasts on August 13. The divers have so far recovered seven bodies; there were 13 sailors aboard when disaster struck.

Officials said the search will continue though very high temperature , which melted the submarine's body of steel, would have incinerated bodies in the forward section. "No timeline can be set in such cases. Finding bodies of their loved ones will give a sense of closure to the victims' families and to us for doing our duty towards our colleagues,'' officials said.

The navy has also begun salvage operations. "When the submarine is brought to the surface, we could determine the explosion cause. The bodies which divers could not see underwater can also be recovered,'' officials added.

The divers' biggest impediment is near-zero visibility due to oil-seawater sludge in the submarine and lack of depth.

"Mumbai's port has the dirtiest water. Divers are practically entering blindfolded into an unfamiliar and a constricted, flooded compartment full of live missiles and torpedoes to search for the bodies,'' an official said.

"We cannot even insert underwater material below the submarine, which when done, it gains buoyancy and automatically flats it when we complete pumping, as water continues to enter due to structural damage,'' officials said.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Divers-continue-search-for-bodies-in-sub/articleshow/21946358.cms

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Painful wait for submarine victims' kin

For the families of the victims of the ill-fated INS Sindhurakshak, it is a long agonizing wait before they get confirmation about the loss of their loved ones, which is now almost a foregone conclusion. Kin of the victims have gone to Mumbai to give blood samples for DNA testing and matching with the bodies that have been found. The Sindhurakshak submarine had sunk following a blast, killing 18 Naval officials on board. However, only seven bodies have been recovered so far.

"As of now, we have been told that officials will come and brief us. We have not been permitted to see the recovered bodies since they are beyond recognition," said a heartbroken Simhachalam, brother-in-law of 29-year-old T Rajesh who hailed from Visakhapatnam.

Simhachalam said the Naval officials received them along with the relatives of Sitaram Badapalli from Srikakulam on Monday. Simhachalam, who is accompanied by Rajesh's brother, added: "They have given us accommodation in the mess and Rajesh's brother was asked to give blood samples for the DNA test. In the case of the victims, DNA would be taken from the teeth or bones." In a choked voice, he added that he had always promised his sister Jyothi that he would do anything for her but never bargained for this. "No matter what news I give her, it can never be good news," he said.

Meanwhile, DVN Murthy, brother of 35-year-old Dasari Prasad from Simhachalam, who was among the first ones to reach Mumbai along with Prasad's brother-in-law and one more relative, returned on Monday after giving his DNA samples. "Naval officials used to brief us twice about the developments every day. No time frame has been given but the harsh truth is that neither my brother nor anyone else is alive. You don't take samples for matching DNA with those who are alive," the Vizag Naval Dockyard employee sobbed.

Back homes, Prasad's inconsolable mother Acchiyyama has lost all appetite as she waits for news of her son who had spoken to her a couple of hours before the mishap.

"Acchiyyama had to be given intravenous fluid since she hasn't eaten anything for the past four-five days," said Captain (Retd) Dr P Satya Prasad, zilla sainik welfare officer, Visakhapatnam. He said that the wives of top Naval brass from Visakhapatnam met the aggrieved families on Monday and consoled them.

Another brother of Prasad, Srinu, who had flown down from Singapore on hearing the news, said that Prasad's pregnant wife has still not been told about her loss. "All she knows is that her husband survived with some minor injuries and is under treatment in a military hospital where phones are not permitted. She is hoping that he will join her soon as he had promised before sending her to her parents' place in Vijayawada along with her three-year-old daughter," he said.

Ironically state politicians still could not take out time to meet the bereaved families. "A local minister was expected to come yesterday but cancelled his visit for some 'more important meeting'. In fact, we do not want to see the faces of any politicians now," said a relative of one of the victims from Vizag.

Tuesday 20 August 2013

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Painful-wait-for-submarine-victims-kin/articleshow/21926873.cms

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Seventh body recovered from INS Sindhurakshak

Rescuers from the Indian Navy on Monday extricated one more body from INS Sindhurakshak, taking the number of victims recovered from the fire-devastated submarine to seven even as professional savers from reputed companies commenced preliminary survey activities.

According to Naval sources, the body has been taken to state-run J J Hospital for post-mortem.

Battling difficult conditions, the Navy had till Sunday extricated badly charred bodies of six of the 18 victims trapped in the sunken vessel. Also, they had managed to gain access to the forward compartment of the ill-fated submarine by breaking open the jammed hatches.

Earlier, sources had said the Navy divers were carrying out the task of searching within the submarine by “feeling each inch” due to zero visibility within flooded compartments to locate the missing bodies and mark a probable route to be used for further rescue operations.

18 Navy personnel, including three officers, were on board the Russia-made submarine when a devastating fire ripped through the frontline underwater craft following serial explosions on Tuesday midnight.

The Navy has instituted a Board of Inquiry to probe the cause of the explosions and fire which is expected to submit its report within four weeks.

Mumbai Police have also registered a case of accidental death in connection with the worst peacetime tragedy suffered by the Navy.

The Navy medical authorities had also started the process of collecting blood samples of family members of the 18 personnel aboard the vessel.

The blood samples would be needed for DNA profiling of the incinerated bodies of the victims, to establish the identities.

Dental tests on to identify recovered bodies of sailors

While operations are on to fish out the bodies of Navy personnel feared dead in the INS Sindhurakshak disaster on August 14, a battery of tests are being conducted on the bodies of the deceased at naval hospital, INHS Asvini, and the state-run JJ Hospital.

The bodies were sent to INHS Asvini in Navy Nagar, from where they were later transferred to JJ Hospital in Byculla. Till Sunday evening, JJ hospital in Byculla had conducted post-mortems on six bodies.

There is hope that the bodies will be identified through their dental records, which are available with the Navy.

“Doctors at INHS Asvini have sent the bodies for post-mortem after taking records of dental patterns from the bodies. The patterns will be matched with the archived dental records to expedite identification of bodies,” said a doctor at the forensic medicine department from JJ Hospital.

The doctors at forensic medicine department in JJ Hospital are also performing diatom tests on the bodies, which will help ascertain if a deceased died before drowning or after.

“Whenever there are signs of drowning, unicellular algae from the localised water — in this case, the sea — enter the body. We are checking the extent of diatom spread in the bodies of the personnel and will match it with samples of sea water to ascertain if death occurred after drowning,” said another doctor from the department of forensic medicine at JJ Hospital.

The doctor added that they are checking for the presence of diatoms in the liver, spleen, heart and lungs of the deceased.

“In cases where death occurs due to drowning, diatoms are found in peripheral organs like the spleen and liver. This is because the heart, which is still beating as the person drowns, pumps the diatom-laden water inhaled through the lungs to the liver and spleen,” said the doctor.

However, in cases where bodies are thrown into the water after drowning, blood circulation has stopped before water enters the lungs and the presence of diatoms will be restricted to the lungs and heart, explained the doctor.

The bodies that have reached JJ Hospital for autopsies will be lodged in the hospital’s cabinet cold storage capacity, maintained at the temperature of 2-4°C, as the morgue in naval hospital INHS Asvini does not have the wherewithal to maintain such low temperatures, said a source.

Bone and tooth samples from the bodies have been sent for DNA analysis at state-run forensic laboratory in Kalina.

Monday 19 August 2013

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/seventh-body-recovered-from-ins-sindhurakshak/article5038510.ece?homepage=true

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/1876412/report-ins-sindhurakshak-disaster-dental-tests-on-to-identify-recovered-bodies-of-sailors

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INS Sindhurakshak: Forensic lab to prioritize Navy DNA samples

The severely shortstaffed Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) at Kalina will prioritize the DNA profiling of the sailors' bodies retrieved from INS Sindhurakshak and try to send its reports in a fortnight.

The FSL has 1,500 samples that need DNA profiling. However , it will give precedence to the bodies found on the sub. The lab has got samples of five crewmen after their autopsies were performed at J J Hospital; the sixth sample is yet to be received. The lab will start work from Monday.

Director Dr MK Malve said all efforts will be made to provide reports in a fortnight. Viscera samples though will take longer to be evaluated. At least 10,000 viscera samples are lying in state forensic labs for testing. Insiders said the reports cannot be sent sooner partly because there is only one machine for genetic analysis and partly because there is just one senior officer at the helm of DNA fingerprinting in the Kalina lab.

The biology-serology department , which covers DNA testing, is among the busiest. It receives at least 50 samples a month. An analyst said that, given the case sensitivity, samples from the sub accident will be checked twice.

Monday 19 August 2013

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Forensic-lab-to-prioritize-navy-samples/articleshow/21907964.cms

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Sindhurakshak: 6th body recovered from submarine

Battling difficult conditions, rescuers from Indian Navy extricated body of one more victim from the submarine INS Sindhurakshak on late Saturday evening, taking the total number of bodies recovered so far to six, naval sources said.

The rescue team had on Friday extricated badly charred bodies of five of the 18 personnel trapped in the craft after gruelling efforts as naval authorities voiced worst fears that others on board might have been incinerated too.

"Body of one more sailor was recovered from the submarine late this evening," Navy sources said.

The divers had managed to open a second access to the sunken vessel during an overnight operation.

Sources said the Navy divers are carrying out the task of searching within the submarine by "feeling each inch" due to zero visibility within flooded compartments to locate the missing bodies and mark a probable route to be used for further rescue operations.

18 Navy personnel, including three officers, were on board the Russia-made submarine when a devastating fire ripped through the frontline underwater craft following serial explosions on Tuesday midnight. The Navy has instituted a Board of Inquiry to probe the cause of the explosions and fire which is expected to submit its report within four weeks.

Mumbai Police have also registered a case of accidental death in connection with the worst peacetime tragedy suffered by the Navy.

Sunday 18 August 2013

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/Sindhurakshak-6th-body-recovered-from-submarine/Article1-1109291.aspx

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INS Sindhurakshak tragedy: Indian Navy divers open second access to submarine

Battling the odds, divers from the Navy continued their search for more bodies on board submarine INS Sindhurakshak without any success but managed to open a second access to the sunken vessel during an overnight "challenging but critical" operation.

The rescue team had extricated badly charred bodies of five of the 18 personnel trapped in the craft on Friday after gruelling efforts as naval authorities voiced worst fears that others on board might have been incinerated too.

"The divers have gained a second access to the submarine late last night when they successfully prised open the rear escape hatch which was submerged below and jammed due to high temperature," a release from the Navy said, terming the operation as "challenging but critical."

Also, opening of the jammed forward escape hatch is being attempted for an entry to the front portion of the submarine, it said.

Sources said the Navy divers are carrying out the task of searching within the submarine by "feeling each inch" due to zero visibility within flooded compartments to locate the missing bodies and mark a probable route to be used for further rescue operations.

The identification of the five bodies recovered so far is being given high priority and all means including DNA profiling is being carried out, a defence spokesman said.

Doctors at the state-run J J Hospital here have completed postmortem on the bodies recovered from the submarine.

"DNA samples and dental marks have been taken (to ascertain identity)," said an official, adding all these will be sent for forensic analysis.

Doctors have opined that prima facie the cause of death was burning and drowning. However, other details will be known only after receiving the forensic report, the sources said.

Sunday 18 August 2013

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-08-17/india/41420557_1_navy-divers-submarine-escape-hatch

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INS Sindhurakshak tragedy: Navy faces its dead; identifying bodies a challenging task

After naval divers fished out what remained of five of the 18 sailors aboard the submarine INS Sindhurakshak, which exploded at naval dockyard on Wednesday, the process to identify them began yesterday.

The DNA extracted from the femurs and teeth of the bodies will be matched with that of the blood samples taken from relatives of all the 18 sailors who were on board the submarine. And unless there is a mismatch in the sampling, the remains will be preserved at the morgue of Naval hospital INHS Asvini.

Today, the samples will be sent to the State Forensic Science Laboratory, Kalina for DNA matching.

A forensic scientist from the lab confirmed receiving a phone call from the Navy. “The officer made inquiries about the process of sending the samples. Only after we get the samples will we be able to ascertain the time required for conducting the tests.”

The bodies were first taken to the naval hospital, where their X-rays were taken. At around 6 pm, two bodies were sent to JJ Postmortem Center. A team of forensic surgeons headed by Dr Sudhir Nanandkar, head of department, forensic medicine, Grant Medical College, conducted the autopsies that lasted for over two hours. Four doctors from INHS Asvini were present for the procedures, which were recorded.

“After the explosion, the sea water in the radius of two kilometers had heated up at very high temperatures,” said a naval officer requesting anonymity.

Surgeons who conducted the autopsy said that both the bodies were first exposed to high temperature and, immediately after, to hot water. This was evident from the fact that the bodies were not completely charred: the burnt skin had peeled off from the face, hands and legs, baring the bones underneath.

However, a few peripheral body parts like the arms, feet and the ears in some bodies were missing,” said the doctor.

Since the bodies had been lying in seawater for more than 48 hours, they did not show any sign of decomposition. The internal organs were found intact. The surgeons suspect that death was instantaneous in both cases, right after the blasts.

After extracting samples for DNA sampling, the surgeons handed back the bodies to the Cuffe Parade police, who took them to the mortuary at the naval hospital.

Around 9.45 pm, two more bodies were brought for autopsy. Surgeons pointed out that these bodies were similarly charred beyond recognition. The autopsy went on until after 11 pm and then the bodies were handed over to the Navy.

Additional Commissioner of Police (south region) Krishna Prakash said, “The Cuffe Parade police were informed by the INHS Asvini sergeant surgeon Dr Gopal Singh Rajput who is also the complainant. After autopsy, these two bodies will also be handed over to the Navy.”

The cause of death for all four bodies was ascertained to be burn injuries with a history of drowning.

Doctors said that the bodies of deceased were charred beyond recognition and that an x-ray of the bones was conducted to ascertain if shrapnel was embedded in the remains.

The DNA analysis results are expected to arrive from the laboratory in seven to ten days. The tests are being expedited due to the urgency of the issue.

Saturday 17 August 2013

http://www.mid-day.com/news/2013/aug/170813-navy-faces-its-dead-identifying-bodies-a-challenging-task.htm

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/1875506/report-drowning-burns-caused-death-says-autopsy-report

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Autopsies performed on five submarine sailors' bodies

Doctors at Sir J.J. Hospital have finished performing autopsies on the bodies of five sailors recovered from the sunken submarine INS Sindhurakshak, hospital sources said.

The bodies were brought to the hospital as the naval hospital INHS Ashvini does not have facilities to conduct autopsies.

Besides the autopsy to determine the causes of death, DNA samples have been taken and dental identification carried out to identify the victims.

Hospital officials said the bodies were brought in a completely charred state though some tissues were intact.

Orthopaedic x-rays carried out to ascertain shrapnel or other foreign bodies embedded on the victims have proved negative.

Prima facie, doctors have concluded death due to burning, asphyxiation and drowning thought the exact cause and timing of death of each will be determined only at a later stage.

The identities of the victims shall be clear after forensic experts give the DNA and dental record reports in the next few days.

Meanwhile, the Indian Navy is under pressure to expedite the work of recovering the remaining 13 missing sailors.

After five bodies were recovered till Friday evening, the naval team of divers is engaged in a round-the-clock operation to find the others.

The chances of finding any survivor have been ruled out from the deep sea fighter vessel which exploded, caught fire and then sank within six hours early Wednesday in the Mumbai naval harbour.

"The state of (the three recovered bodies) and conditions within the submarine leads to the firm conclusion that finding any surviving personnel within the submarine is unlikely," the Indian Navy said in a statement Friday afternoon.

"The damage and destruction within the submarine around the control room area indicates that the feasibility of locating bodies in the forward part of the submarine is also very remote as the explosion and very high temperatures, which melted steel within, would have incinerated the bodies too," the statement added.

However, the Indian Navy is hopeful that some of the armaments inside the deep sea fighter vessel, stored on the rear side, may be recovered undamaged as the flames did not completely gut that portion of the submarine.

The distraught families of all the 18 missing personnel have been contacted "and are being provided regular updates through constant interaction" by the Family Cell headed by a rear admiral and members of the Navy Wives Welfare Association.

Saturday 17 August 2013

http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/autopsies-performed-on-five-submarine-sailors-bodies-113081700902_1.html

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4 bodies recovered from sunken Indian navy submarine INS Sindhurakshak, bodies will be DNA tested

Four severely burned bodies have been recovered from an Indian navy submarine that sank in Mumbai this week after an explosion and fire on board, authorities said Friday.

The Indian government warned that there was almost no hope of finding any survivors among the 14 other sailors who were in the submarine when it was hit by the unexplained blast at a naval dockyard early Wednesday.

Navy divers have been searching for the trapped submarine personnel for the past two days.

Their task has been complicated by poor visibility inside the stricken submarine's passageways, which are full of oily, muddy water and wreckage. Adding to their difficulties, the heat of the explosion warped some of the hatches inside the vessel, blocking the divers' access to certain areas.

The four bodies they found Friday are unidentifiable because they were so severely burned, authorities said. They have been taken to a naval hospital for DNA identification.

Searching 'every inch'

The state of the bodies and conditions inside the INS Sindhurakshak, a Russian-built submarine, mean that "finding any surviving personnel within the submarine is unlikely," the ministry said.

"The feasibility of locating bodies of personnel in the forward part of the submarine is also very remote, as the explosion and very high temperatures, which melted steel within, would have incinerated the bodies, too," it warned.

But divers will continue to scour "every inch" of the submarine until all the bodies are recovered "or it can be stated with finality that no bodies remain to be found," the statement said.

Authorities say they have contacted the families of all the 18 missing personnel and are keeping them updated. The defense ministry has published the names of the three officers and 15 sailors concerned.

Friday 16 August 2013

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/16/world/asia/india-submarine-disaster/

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Divers find 3 bodies inside INS Sindhurakshak, 15 still missing

India's navy said on Friday divers had found the bodies of three sailors who were on board a submarine badly damaged by a fire and explosions and that it was unlikely any of 15 other missing crew members would be found alive.

"The state of these bodies and conditions within the submarine leads to firm conclusion that finding any surviving personnel within the submarine is unlikely," the navy said in a statement.

"The damage and destruction within the submarine around the control room area indicates that the feasibility of locating bodies of personnel in the forward part of the submarine is also very remote as the explosion and very high temperatures, which melted steel within, would have incinerated the bodies too."

The sinking of the diesel-powered submarine is the biggest blow for the navy, both in terms of lives and the loss of a vessel, since a frigate was sunk in the 1971 war with Pakistan.

It has turned the spotlight on the navy's ageing submarine fleet even as it spends billions of rupees on aircraft carriers to counter the rising influence of the Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean.

The Sindhurakshak is a Kilo class vessel, which were built in former Soviet and later Russian shipyards for the Indian navy from 1985 to 2000. The navy has 10 of the submarines and four German HDW boats.

A defence source said the navy did not have a deep submergence rescue vehicle that other navies use to save trapped sailors, although in this case the incident occurred while it was docked and not in the deep seas.

The navy said divers couldn't enter the Sindhurakshak for more than 12 hours because of boiling water inside parts of the vessel. Access was "almost impossible due to jammed doors and hatches, distorted ladders, oily and muddy waters".

Only one diver could work at a time initially to clear a path inside the submarine. Divers are trying to reach further inside to find the remaining bodies, the navy said.

Despite putting in their best efforts, rescuers have been finding it difficult to break into the submarine as the heat of the explosion has melted parts of the internal hull deforming the submarine hatches and has prevented access to the compartments. The main hatch was opened last afternoon.

The Navy has also been trying to pump out water from the ship but the operation has met with limited success till now as there has been large scale ingress of sea water into the submarine due to the explosion.

The diesel-electric submarine was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1997 at a cost of around Rs 400 crore and had gone through a Rs 450-crore extensive upgrade in Russia.

The 2300-tonne Kilo class submarine, powered by a combination of diesel generators and electric batteries, had potent weapons package including the anti-ship 'Club' missiles.

A naval board of inquiry has been ordered into how weapons went off while the vessel was berthed in the high-security Mumbai base.

Friday 16 August 2013

http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/divers-find-3-bodies-inside-ins-sindhurakshak-15-still-missing_869387.html

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/08/16/uk-india-submarine-bodies-idUKBRE97F04G20130816

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India works to salvage stricken submarine, recover bodies

Indian divers and engineers struggled to refloat a stricken submarine in a Mumbai military shipyard Thursday after it exploded and sank with 18 crewpersons on board.

The fully-armed INS Sindhurakshak, returned by its original manufacturer Russia earlier this year after a major refit, went up in flames in a dock on Wednesday and sank to the bottom of the harbour.

Divers had opened the main hatch on Wednesday afternoon and were then expected to secure two water-tight compartments and begin pumping out the water to bring the vessel to the surface.

The disaster is considered the Indian navy’s worst since the sinking of a frigate by a Pakistani submarine in 1971 and premier Manmohan Singh is expected to speak about it in his annual Independence Day speech Thursday.

Defence Minister AK Antony described the explosion as the “greatest tragedy in recent time”.

Defence ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar told AFP late Wednesday: “We have not got the bodies so we can’t say they are dead. But we are fearing the worst.”

Navy chief DK Joshi said Wednesday no sign of life had been detected on board.

“While we hope for the best, we have to prepare for the worst,” he told reporters in Mumbai, adding that there was a possibility some crew might have found air pockets but “the indicators are negative”.

The blast came days after New Delhi trumpeted the launch of its first domestically-produced aircraft carrier and the start of sea trials for its first Indian-made nuclear submarine, described by Singh as a “giant stride” for the country.

The world’s biggest democracy has been expanding its armed forces rapidly to upgrade its mostly Soviet-era weaponry and respond to what many in India perceive as a growing threat from regional rival China.

Amateur video footage showed a fireball in the forward section of the Sindhurakshak, where torpedoes and missiles are stored as well as the battery units.

A board of enquiry has been established to probe all possible explanations for the explosions including sabotage, but “the indicators at this point of time do not support that theory”, Joshi said.

Other sailors on vessels berthed near the INS Sindhurakshak were admitted to a navy hospital in Mumbai with burns.

In February 2010 the vessel suffered a fire while docked in Visakhapatnam city in southern India, killing a 24-year-old sailor and leaving two others with burns.

The Indian navy has 15 submarines, but only between seven and nine are operational at any one time because of regular repair and refitting operations.

Joshi admitted that the loss of the Sindhurakshak had left a “dent” in the navy’s capabilities.

The disaster had echoes of a tragedy in Russia in 2000 when the Kursk nuclear submarine sank in the Barents Sea with the loss of all 118 crew on board.

Russia is still the biggest military supplier to India, but relations have been strained recently by major delays and cost overruns with a refurbished aircraft carrier, the INS Vikramaditya.

Thursday 15 August 2013

http://tribune.com.pk/story/590520/india-works-to-salvage-stricken-submarine-recover-bodies/

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