DELHI. May 19 (Interfax-AVN) - The final at-sea testing of India's first domestically-produced nuclear submarine, the Arihant, has been indefinitely postponed over the tragic death of four crewmembers, Indian navy spokesman T.L.P. Babu told Interfax on Thursday.
"The incident occurred at 11 a.m. on May 18 at the Vishakhapatnam naval base. The heavy gates of the cofferdam of the dry dock collapsed, killing three crewmembers and fatally injuring another crewmember, who later died of the injuries," he said.
The gates of the dock where the submarine is located collapsed on two officers and two sailors, he said.
"An investigation has been started. The testing will resume only after it is over," Babu said.
The Arihant (Destroyer of Enemies) project is estimated at about $2.9 billion.
Indian Navy Commander Admiral Nirmal Verma said that the submarine will have been commissioned by 2012 and fill the missing link in India's nuclear triad under development, allowing the Armed Forces to launch nuclear missiles from land, air and sea.
The submarine has six torpedo launchers that can also launch cruise missiles. Its basic weaponry includes 12 ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads to a distance of 750 kilometers.