After the Indian Navy held a wreath laying ceremony in memory of its two personnel killed in Wednesday’s mishap on its submarine INS Sindhuratna, one of the deceased officers — lieutenant Commander Kapish Singh Muwal – was cremated at a city crematorium, while the body of lieutenant Commander Manoranjan Kumar was taken by his family to Jamshedpur for a funeral.
Informed Navy sources said that while the mortal remains of lt Commander Muwal were consigned to flames at the Chandanwadi crematorium here in the presence of his family members, late Manoranjan’s family members flew his body to Jamshedpur, where his will funeral would be held on Saturday.
Son of an ex-naval subedar Navin Kumar, 26-year-old Manorajan had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant-commander on February 15. He was planning to go to his hometown of Jamshedpur for Holi. Ironically enough, ahead of the festival, Navin — who had arrived in Mumbai on Thursday — accompanied his son’s body to Jamshedpur, where his mother Rukmani Devi is laying bed-ridden with a hip ailment.
At a formal ceremony held at Indian Naval Hospital Ship Asvini in honour of lieutenant Commander Kapish Singh Muwal and lieutenant Commander Manoranjan Kumar, Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command as well as other Flag Officers laid wreaths at the two bodies.
The Naval Ensign (Flags) was lowered at half mast in the honour of the sacrifice made by the officers in call of duty for the nation. Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha met the families of the deceased officers and expressed his deepest condolences to the brave heroes who had made the ultimate sacrifice in fighting the fire on the submarine.
Both officers were from Electrical Branch of the Indian Navy and were fully qualified in dealing with the exigency. The bodies of Muwal and Manoranjan, who had gone missing after a fire mishap on board INS Sindhuratna, were located on the third compartment of the submarine, which returned to the Mumbai harbour on Thursday morning.
After the return of INS Sindhuratna to the harbour, fire fighting personnel systematically ventilated the compartments. During the search that followed, the bodies of Muwal and Manoranjan were found in the third compartment, from where they were evacuated and taken Naval Hospital, Asvini. In Wednesday’s mishap, seven crew members had taken ill while putting out the fire and smoke. Soon after the mishap, they were air-lifted to Mumbai-based Naval Hospital Asvini, where their condition is reported to be “stable”.
“The other crew members have undergone preliminary medical checkup. The condition of all crew members is stable. Some are being kept under observation for a few days and will be discharged shortly. Families of all crew have been informed and some have also met them,” a statement released by the Indian Navy said on Friday afternoon.
According to a Navy spokesperson, the compensation to the next of kin is being processed with Naval Headquarters & Ministry of Defence and will be handed over to next of kin.