Three Sailors Injured In Cylinder Blast Onboard INS Nireekshak

Three sailors were injured in an oxygen cylinder explosion onboard the INS Nireekshak, an Indian naval ship.

A sailor is reported to have lost his leg while two others were injured during an incident which occurred on April 16, when the ship was on its way to Mumbai from Visakhapatnam.

The Indian Navy has ordered an inquiry on this incident, PTI reported Wednesday.  

The explosion took place while a diving bailout bottle, a small 12-inch oxygen bottle which is carried by divers in their diving helmet, was being charged, a Navy official told PTI.

He said that such an incident has never happened in history of the Indian Navy.

"The explosion happened while the crew was working on the deck of the ship," he said.

Three sailors were injured, including one, who sustained serious injuries and his right leg has been amputated from just above the knee. Two other sailors received splinter injuries in the stomach region and legs.

They were admitted in Military Hospital, Trivandrum. The sailors were stated to be in a stable condition and have now been shifted to Mumbai.