Leakage of oxygen reason behind Sindurakshak explosion: CAG

New Delhi: Indian Navy's frontline submarine INS Sindurakshak had exploded in 2013 in Mumbai due to leakage of oxygen from a torpedo, the Comptroller and Auditor General said in a report on Friday, revealing the reasons causing the major accident.

The CAG cited the report of a high-level inquiry by the Navy into the explosion on board the submarine on August 14, 2013, following which it had sunk. The accident is considered one of the biggest in recent times for the Navy in which 17 personnel were killed.

"In February 2014, after scientific analysis and careful consideration, inferred leakage of oxygen from a torpedo as a primary initiator of the incident. The oxygen leak was attributed to the material failure of oxygen flask or its associated pipelines," the CAG said.

It said complete 'Work Up' of the submarine was not conducted when the submarine was prepared for operational deployment as the 'Work Up' was completed within one week instead of prescribed two weeks.

The CAG report was tabled in Parliament today.

The CAG said most of the recommendations made by the Boards of Inquiry into the explosion on the submarine emphasised the need for strict adherence to the existing standard operating procedures.

The report also said that smoke and fire detectors were not installed in all compartments of the submarine for the warning.

"There were two incidents of fire in the submarine within a span of two hours. The occurrence of two fire incidents in the same compartment of the submarine within a span of about two hours is indicative of the fact that in all likelihood, the first fire in the compartment was not extinguished completely," the report said.

The CAG also cited a number of accidents involving the Navy's ships and submarines.