Days After INS Sindhuratna Accident, Fresh Incident Kills One Officer

In the latest string of accidents, an incident aboard the Indian Navy warship, the Kolkata class destroyer, has killed one officer Friday.

According to reports, a possible malfunctioning of the firefighting system in the engine room of the destroyer is to be blamed for the accident.

A Navy press release said that there was a malfunction in the ship's carbon dioxide unit, leading to a gas leakage.

The valve on top of the carbon-dioxide cylinder burst, hitting the officer on his chest, and he collapsed. The leaking CO2 would have further added to the confusion, it is believed, according to the Times of India.

INS Kolkata (officially now called Yard 701) is the most modern destroyer of India, set for commissioning in a few weeks time. It is now at the Bombay Port Trust undergoing trials.

The accident comes only a month after Admiral DK Joshi stepped down as Navy chief, after various accidents including two submarines fires were reported in the past year.

INS Kolkata is the lead ship in the guided class destroyers India is building now. The other two would be INS Kochi and INS Chennai, the report said.