INS Sindhurakshak explosion: `No indication so far of sabotage`

Navy said it has been getting Intelligence warnings of terror threats to its assets in Mumbai but there has been no indication so far of sabotage being a reason behind submarine INS Sindhurakshak explosion.

New Delhi: Navy on Friday said it has been getting Intelligence warnings of terror threats to its assets in Mumbai but there has been no indication so far of sabotage being a reason behind submarine INS Sindhurakshak explosion.

The intelligence agencies have been providing us these inputs about terror threats to the naval assets in Mumbai but there are no indicators of any sabotage so far, Navy sources said here. They said causing an explosion of such high magnitude externally and causing damage to the vessel was highly unlikely. Soon after the incident, Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi had said that the sabotage angle in the incident cannot be ruled out. "We cannot rule out sabotage... But indications at this point do not support the (sabotage) theory," he had said. The submarine sunk with its crew of 18 personnel including 15 sailors after two major explosions on it were seen from a distance. The Navy sources said the blast may have occurred in the torpedoes in the front portion of the submarine around which the accommodation of the crew are also located. The sources said attempts would be made to bring up the warship up from the seabed which will help in the investigations into the incident. They said the possibility of using the submarine again seems to be very low as the explosion has caused great damage to the structure of the vessel where steel has melted and fused with other structures. PTI