Date:24/02/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/02/24/stories/2006022404300600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Three killed in fire onboard warship

Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM: In a fire onboard INS Magar, a warship of the Eastern Naval Command, off Visakhapatnam coast on Wednesday evening, three persons died and five were critically injured.

A Ministry of Defence press release here said on Thursday that there was no damage to the ship and it returned to the harbour in the evening.

The injured persons were admitted to INHS Kalyani, the Navy hospital. A Board of Enquiry has been ordered into the incident, says the brief release.

According to an FIR lodged with the harbour police station, the three persons who died in the fire were Sheetal Das of Musheerabad district in West Bengal, Bhisham Singh of Kaithal in Haryana and Ashok Kumar of Buxar in Bihar. The incident took place 39 nautical miles off the coast while handling some ammunition.