President Pranab Mukherjee Wednesday expressed grief at the loss of lives in explosions and subsequent fire in a naval submarine at Mumbai dockyard.
The Indian Navy was struck a huge blow Wednesday when a frontline submarine suffered two explosions and sank here at dawn with 18 sailors on board after the blasts turned it into a deadly ball of fire.
"I am saddened to learn about the tragic incident today involving a submarine which caught fire after a massive explosion and sank in the dockyard in Mumbai and in which 18 personnel of the Indian Navy lost their lives," Mukherjee said in his message to Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi.
"I am sure that the Ministry of Defence and the state government are providing all possible help to the bereaved families who have lost their near and dear ones," he added.