Submarine Explosion In Mumbai Kills 18 Sailors

A massive Submarine explosion tragically killed 18 Indian sailors who were on the vessel at the time of the blast.

The twin explosion ripped through the submarine, which was Russian built and 16-years-old, sending massive plumes of smoke from the large fires caused by the explosion. The vessel had already been damaged back in 2010, in which 3 people were killed. Since then the submarine has undergone repair work, but clearly the upgrades did not make the vessel safe, as is clear from the explosion today.

The Associated Press reported that a naval official spoke to them under conditions of strict anonymity due to the fact that no bodies have yet been recovered by divers. He said that there is no way that anyone could have survived the explosion. The blast ripped through the vessel, causing huge fires which could be seen from quite a distance.

The submarine explosion occurred at the Mumbai naval base. Some time after the blast officials managed to open one of the hatches on the submarine, in an attempt to rescue any survivors who might be inside, only to find murky water and impossible conditions inside.

The precise cause of the blast is yet to be ascertained by Indian naval authorities. What is known is that there was some kind of malfunction in the weaponry compartment on the submarine, which caused at least one of the two large explosions.

Admiral D.K. Joshi was optimistic to a degree about the incident, possibly trying to cover up the fact that the Indian government puts its sailors at risk by providing sub-standard equipment, as was seen today. He said to reporters: “We hope for the best but we have to prepare for the worst.”

The submarine explosion in Mumbai today is not the first, though we hope the last, example of gross negligence which ultimately led to the needless loss of 18 lives.