Submarine tragedy: Divers gain access to front compartment of submarine, says Navy

The Indian Navy on Sunday said that they have gained access to the forward compartment of the ill-fated submarine INS Sindhurakshak by breaking open the jammed hatches.

However, there were no reports of any more bodies being located in the vessel till now.

Battling difficult conditions, the rescuers from Indian Navy had till yesterday extricated six bodies of victims from the submarine.

A release issued by the Indian Navy said here today that professional salvers from reputed companies have commenced preliminary survey activities. The present state of the submarine and various options for salvage are being assessed.

The naval command in Visakhapatnam has also established a similar family support cell, as in Mumbai, to interact with the family members of the crew who could not travel to Mumbai, the release said.

Earlier, sources had said the Navy divers were carrying out the task of searching within the submarine by ‘feeling each inch’ due to zero visibility within flooded compartments to locate the missing bodies and mark a probable route for further rescue operations.