Gas blast injures 3 on Indian navy frigate; latest accident to hit India's navy

A minor gas explosion in the boiler room of an Indian navy frigate on Friday injured two civilian workers and one sailor in Mumbai's naval dockyard, an official said, the latest accident to hit India's navy.

The blast was caused by a gas leak from a welding gun that was being used during repair work on the INS Ganga frigate, said Capt. D.K. Sharma, a navy spokesman.

He said two civilian workers and a sailor received minor burns and were taken to a hospital for treatment. The sailor was allowed to go home after being treated.

A gas leak on an Indian navy destroyer being built at the Mumbai dockyard killed a navy commander in March, and a fire on a navy submarine killed two officers in February.

The navy chief, Adm. D.K. Joshi, resigned to take responsibility for those accidents and other incidents that have plagued the navy in recent years.

Last August, another of the navy's Russian-made diesel-powered submarines, the INS Sindhurakshak, caught fire after an explosion and sank at its home port in Mumbai, killing all 18 sailors on board.

In December, the INS Talwar, a Russian-built stealth frigate, slammed into a trawler off India's west coast, sinking the boat and tossing 27 fishermen into the sea. All of the fishermen were rescued.