More than a fortnight after the multiple explosions and resultant fire on board INS Sindhurakshak claimed the lives of 18 sailors, six of the 11 recovered from the wreckage of the sunken submarine were identified and handed over to the respective families on Frida.
The six bodies that were identified were: liju lawrence (rank lEMP), Seetaram Badapalli (rank lS RP I), Rajesh Tootika (lME), Vishnu V (RO II), Kewal Singh (lS UC I), and Malay Haldar (EMR II).
After a wreath-laying ceremony held at the INHS Aswini in the evening, the bodies of the first four Navy personnel were handed over to their relatives, while the bodies of Kewal Singh and Malay Haldar were taken by Naval personnel to their respective hometowns simultaneously.
The disaster had struck INS Sindhurakshak at 0010 hours of August 14, when a low-intensity explosion rocked the vessel, followed by two major simultaneous explosions that in turn sparked a huge fire inside the diesel-electric submarine, trapping all 18 on-duty sailors. Three sailors, who were on watch duty on top of the submarine — had escaped with minor injuries.