Navy’s twin mishaps: commando killed, fire on ship

An Indian Navy commando was on Monday killed in a weapon-handling accident at Visakhapatnam-based INS Kalinga, a missile storage facility under the Eastern Naval Command and a base for marine commandos (MARCOS).

An Indian Navy commando was on Monday killed in a weapon-handling accident at Visakhapatnam-based INS Kalinga, a missile storage facility under the Eastern Naval Command and a base for marine commandos (MARCOS).

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The navy has ordered a board of inquiry into the incident.

The MARCOS, elite special forces of the navy, were at the forefront of rescue operations after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Members of this unit are involved in counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir and have helped foil several piracy attempts in the Gulf of Aden.

In a separate incident, a minor fire broke out onboard INS Savitri, an offshore patrol vessel, at the Vishakhapatnam naval dockyard on Saturday. A navy officer said the fire was detected in one of the living compartments on the vessel and was caused by a short circuit.

There was minor damage to fittings and personal belongings of personnel but no casualties. The vessel remains combat worthy, the officer said.