Blast on ship kills four

MUMBAI, March 28: Four civilian workmen were killed in a gas explosion on board the Indian Navy’s fleet tanker INS Jyoti at the naval dockyard on Saturday afternoon. While one workmen was injured in the blast, two more are still trapped in the holds of the ship.

According to a naval spokesperson, the explosion occurred at around 3:15 pm when six civilian workmen were painting the storage tanks of the ship. Three workmen were killed instantly. Two injured workmen were admitted to the St George hospital. While one of them had suffered 100 per cent burns and was declared dead on arrival, the other has suffered 3 per cent burns.

Fire brigade sources said they were still trying to extricate two more persons feared trapped six levels below the upper deck of the tanker where the explosion occurred. "They are most probably dead," said one fire brigade source.

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A defence spokesperson said that the cause of the explosion was yet to be ascertained.

INS Jyoti, the Indian navy’s newest fleet replenishment tankerwas built at the Admirality Shipyard in St Petersburg, Russia. Commissioned into the navy on July 20, 1996, the ship displaces over 21,500 tonnes and has a crew of 175 personnel.