Vishakapatnam, May 19: Four Navy personnel — a Commander, Lieutenant Commander, Chief Shipwright and Master Shipwright — died in an accident at the ship repair unit in the Naval dockyard here on Wednesday.
The accident occurred at around 10 am during a routine operation by a group of 12 Navy personnel.
According to sources, the accident occurred when a docking gate, meant to control the flow of sea water, collapsed.
Three Navy personnel died on the spot while Master Shipwright E Rajesh succumbed while under going treatment at the INHS Kalyani hospital in Malakapuram.
The other three were identified as Commander Aswin Kumar (47), Lieutenant Commander Ranbheer Ramjan and Chief Shipwright Madhu Babu (31). Leaders of various workers’ unions alleged that some of the contract workers might also have died. The Navy, however, clarified that none of the contract workers was involved in the operation.
In a press release, the Navy said a board of inquiry had been ordered to ascertain the causes and circumstances leading to the accident.
Sources said the bodies would be shifted to the King George Hospital for post mortem.
–Agencies