The Indian Navy on Friday said that its divers have retrieved three bodies from the sunk kilo class submarine INS Sindhurakshak, and added that chances of finding any more survivors now seems remote and unlikely.
Defence Public Relations Officer Narendra Kumar Vispute said Indian Navy divers extracted the three bodies from the wreckage of the INS Sindhurakshak.
The 16-year-old Russian-built submarine was docked at the main naval base in Mumbai when two blasts tore through it on the night of August 14.
Vispute said that after 36 hours and in very difficult conditions, the divers had forced their way into the second compartment of the submarine.
"After 36 hours of continuous diving efforts in these conditions, navy divers have finally reached the second compartment behind the conning tower in the early hours of August 16. Three bodies have been located and extricated from the submarine," he said.
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The recovered bodies have been sent to a naval hospital for DNA testing, as they were disfigured beyond recognition.
"The bodies are severely disfigured and not identifiable due to severe burns. The bodies have been sent to INHS Ashwini, the naval hospital, for possible DNA identification, which is likely to take more time," Vispute added.
It was reported after the submarine fire that 18 sailors were missing. Vispute said that the chances of survival for the remaining 15 were slim.
"The state of these bodies and conditions within the submarine leads to firm conclusion that finding any surviving personnel within the submarine is unlikely," he said.
INS Sindhurakshak caught fire, after three explosions, and sank at the naval dockyard in Mumbai around midnight between August 13 and August 14.
About 18 persons, including three officers and 15 crew, were on board the submarine at the time of the accident and efforts are on to ascertain the safety of the personnel and salvage of the submarine.
A Board of Inquiry is being instituted to investigate into the causes of the accident.
Armed with its latest multi-role missile system, radar and electronics, the submarine was to be the backbone of the Indian Navy.
The submarine was fitted with the Club-S multi-role missile system capable of eliminating targets at a distance of over 250 kilometres.
The submarine was under consideration to be equipped with the Brahmos cruise missiles.
INS Sindhurakshak, a Type 877EKM in Russia, was constructed at St. Petersburg in 1997.
The submarine was designed to patrol and to protect naval communications, assault warships, enemy submarines, land targets and perform naval reconnaissance.
It is one of the quietest diesel-electric submarines in the world mainly intended for anti-ship and anti-submarine operations.
