Navy's safety record takes a hit after several accidents, deaths

New Delhi: The image of the Indian Navy has been hit by a series of accidents that have taken place on its warships in the recent past which has resulted in the loss of lives of several of its officers and sea warriors.

In the 11th such mishap, a gas leakage in an under-construction warship in the Mazagaon Docks on Friday claimed the life of a Commander and hospitalisation of two dockyard employees.

Just a few days back in February 2014, two officers were killed and seven seriously injured in a mishap involving the Russian-origin Kilo Class submarine INS Sindhuratna. Taking moral reponsibility for the incident, Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi tendered his resignation sending shockwaves across the defence forces.

But his resignation raised several issues on whether mishaps were only a result of Navy's mistake, with several former Navy officials arguing that the force was not equipped with enough support and facilities from the government.

Not just the Navy, Defence Minister AK Antony, too, has been facing the heat due to repeated accidents. Political parties have time and again targeted the Defence Minister for neglecting the defence forces.

After the incident on Friday, the principal Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party asked the President as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces to initiate a detailed investigation into this "mess" and said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh owes an explanation on the accidents.

The Navy has not had an unblemished past. It has seen many controversies and has been in the news for wrong reasons on many occasions. The past decade has been considerably a bad one for the Navy.

Here is a list of 11 accidents that have scarred the image of the Navy in the past eight months

INS Kolkata (March 2014): Gas leak inside an under construction destroyer of Indian Navy. It is undergoing trials at Mazagaon dockyard in Mumbai. One naval officer dead.

INS Sindhuratna (February 2014): Just seven months after a fire on INS Sindhurakshak killed 18 Navy men, two officers lost their lives and seven were seriously injured in a mishap involving the Russian-origin Kilo Class submarine INS Sindhuratna. Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi resigned taking moral responsibility.

INS Airavat (February 2014): Amphibious ship INS Airavat, the latest of the Shardul class of tank-landing ships, ran aground off the coast of Visakhapatnam. The propellers of the warship were permanently damaged and had to be replaced for the vessel to become operational again.

INS Betwa (January 2014): An indigenously built naval frigate, the Betwa ran aground and collided with an unidentified object while approaching the Mumbai naval base. The sonar system of the frigate was cracked, leading to faulty readings and ingress of saltwater into sensitive equipment.

INS Vipul (January 2014): A member of the elite 22nd Killer Missile Vessel Squadron of the Navy, the ship was detected with a hole in its pillar compartment which forced the ship back into the harbour while it was on an operational deployment. It had to be sent back for repair.

INS Sindhughosh (January 2014): The leading ship of her class of diesel-electric submarines of the Indian Navy, the Sindhughosh ran aground at the naval harbour in Mumbai. The submarine was freed later and did not suffer much damage. At the time of the incident, it was fully armed, carrying its entire compliment of 70 personnel, all of whom were safe.

INS Konkan (December 2013): A mine sweeper under the Eastern Naval Command, the Konkan caught fire at the naval dockyard at Visakhapatnam while undergoing repairs. The fire engulfed much of the ship's interior before it was put off.

INS Talwar (December 2013): A fishing trawler sank after colliding with the navy's frontline frigate INS Talwar near Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, injuring four of the 27 people onboard the trawler. The fishing trawler was operating without lights.

INS Tarkash (December 2013): A stealth frigate which conducted several overseas missions, INS Tarkash suffered damage to its hull when it hit the jetty while docking at the Mumbai naval base.

INS Viraat (September 2013): Fire broke out near the officer's mess of the aircraft carrier off the coast of Mumbai in September last year.

INS Sindhurakshak (August 2013): Blasts ripped through the torpedo compartment of the INS Sindhurakshak while it was berthed at the naval dockyard off the Mumbai coast. Fifteen sailors and three officers were killed. The vessel then submerged under three metres of water. Divers could not even approach the submarine for two to three hours due to the extreme heat that it was generating.