Two Indian sailors die as warship tips over in Mumbai dockyard

MUMBAI: Two Indian sailors died when a warship tipped over while undocking in Mumbai on Monday, an official said, the latest deadly accident to hit the navy in recent years.

Fourteen other personnel received minor injuries and were taken to hospital following the incident, Commander Rahul Sinha, a spokesperson for India's navy, said in a statement.

"At about 1:50 pm (0820 GMT) today INS Betwa, a frigate of the Indian navy was in the process of undocking in naval dockyard when she slipped from her dock blocks and tilted," said Sinha.

"Immediate action was taken to get all personnel to safety. Two sailors however succumbed to injuries post the incident. An inquiry has been ordered," he added.



Sinha, who said the warship was being undocked for maintenance work, said one of the deceased had fallen off the frigate during the incident and drowned while the other had been inside the ship when it tipped over.

"A post-mortem examination will be carried out to ascertain how the sailor died," said Sinha.

India's navy has been hit by several accidents in recent years. In March last year two Indian navy pilots died when their plane crashed into the sea 25 nautical miles off the holiday state of Goa.

A fire aboard a nuclear submarine killed two officers off the Mumbai coast in February 2014. Eighteen sailors were killed in August 2013 when INS Sindhurakshak, also a submarine, burst into flames in Mumbai harbour.