Photographs: Courtesy Russian Armed Forces museum
The explosion and fire on board INS Sindhurakshak at the Mumbai Naval dockyard is the worst naval disaster in India's history.
Even as salvage operations continue in Mumbai, rediff.com recounts the most horrific submarine mishaps of all times.
Submarine: Kursk
Country: Russia
Date: August 12, 2000
What happened: The Russian Oscar-II class submarine with 118 crew members sank to the bottom of the Barents Sea after an explosion triggered a raging fire in the vessel. It was reported that a torpedo fuel leak caused the massive explosion.
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10 worst submarine mishaps this century
Submarine: USS Greenville
Country: United States
Date: February 9, 2001
What Happened: The nuclear submarine's rudder tore through the lower deck of Ehime Maru, a fishery high school training ship from Ehime Prefecture, Japan, during a fast surface maneuver, sinking the Japanese boat within minutes. Nine people aboard die, including students and instructors in commercial fishing. Twenty-six people are rescued.
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10 worst submarine mishaps this century
Submarine: K-159
Country: Russia
Date: August 30, 2003
What Happened: The Russian nuclear-powered submarine sinks as it is being transported through the Barents Sea on its way to a scrapyard at the port of Polyarny. Nine out of the 10 crew aboard die.
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10 worst submarine mishaps this century
Submarine: USS San Francisco
Country: United States
Date: January 9, 2005
What Happened: One crewman died after the US nuclear submarine ran aground off Guam in the Pacific Ocean. Another 23 crewmen are injured.
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10 worst submarine mishaps this century
Submarine: St Daniel of Moscow
Country: Russia
Date: September 6, 2006
What Happened: A fire on board a Viktor-III class Russian navy submarine kills two crew. The St Daniel of Moscow was moored in the Barents sea, north of the Rybachiy peninsula near Russia's border with Finland when it caught fire.
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10 worst submarine mishaps this century
Submarine: HMS Tireless
Country: United Kingdom
Date: March 21, 2007
What Happened: Two British soldiers die and another is injured on HMS Tireless during an exercise in the Arctic.
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10 worst submarine mishaps this century
Submarine: K-152 Nerpa
Country: Russia
Date: November 8, 2008
What Happened: More than 20 people are killed and another 21 injured by toxic gas when a fire safety system misfires on Russia's Nerpa nuclear submarine during trials in the Sea of Japan.
The submarine was leased to the Indian Navy in 2011, after extensive trials and was formally commissioned into service as the INS Chakra II at a ceremony in Visakhapatnam on 4 April, 2012
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10 worst submarine mishaps this century
Submarine: INS Sindhurakshak
Country: India
Date: February 27, 2010
What Happened: A sailor was killed and two others sustained injuries after fire broke out following an explosion in the battery compartment in the Russian-origin Kilo class submarine at Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
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10 worst submarine mishaps this century
Submarine: HMS Astute
Country: United Kingdom
Date: April 8, 2011
What Happened: Two Royal Navy personnel are shot, one fatally, on board the Astute, the British nuclear submarine in the southern English port of Southampton. Another sailor is later arrested. The 7,500-tonne vessel is the first of a new class of British nuclear-powered submarines which will be the largest and most powerful attack submarines ever built for the navy. The submarine had run aground the previous October for ten hours near the Skye Bridge and the captain was relieved of his command the next month.
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10 worst submarine mishaps this century
Submarine: Yekaterinburg
Country: Russia
Date: December 30, 2011
What Happened: A fire aboard the 167-metre 18,200-tonne Yekaterinburg is extinguished after blazing for nearly a full day and night. Nine people are injured. The nuclear submarine is based at the Roslyakovo dock, one of the main dockyards of Russia's Northern Fleet, 1,500 km north of Moscow.
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