Sindhurakshak tragedy: Navy divers open second access to submarine

Mumbai, August 17: Bodies of five naval personnel got recovered from INS Sindhurakshak while efforts are on to rescue possible survivors and the Navy said DNA test will be conducted to ascertain identity of the bodies.

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 have completed post-mortem 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.