India wants Russia to help raise sunken submarine - source
ST. PETERSBURG. Aug 22 (Interfax-AVN) - Indian and Russian officials are discussing options for raising Russian-built Indian diesel-electric submarine Sindhurakshak, which caught fire after a series of explosions on board and sank off Mumbai on August 14, killing all its crew of 18, said a source close to Russia's shipbuilding industry.
There remain unexploded torpedoes on board, which is an obstacle to raising Sindhurakshak, the source told Interfax-AVN.
Indian Navy officials have asked for technological and physical help in bringing up the submarine from the seafloor but neither the Russian government nor any Russian firm has received any official request for this from India.
United Shipbuilding Corporation declined to comment, while a spokesman for Admiralty Shipyard, which built Sindhurakshak, told Interfax that an Indian delegation was due to visit the shipyard on Friday but did not disclose what would be discussed during the visit.
One explanation of the Mumbai accident that has been offered is that the first explosion was caused by high concentration of hydrogen in an accumulator in the head compartment, which is next to the torpedo unit.
India received Project 877EKM Sindhurakshak in 1997. A fire on board the vessel in 2010 that was caused by a hydrogen explosion killed one of the sailors.
The submarine was repaired and modernized at Russia's Zvyozdochka shipyard in 2010-2012.
