Hopes of rescuing 18 sailors from an Indian navy submarine appear to be fading.
The fire was followed by several explosions The INS Sindhurakshak sunk at its Mumbai base after a fire broke out - apparently caused when explosives on board the vessel detonated.
Divers have been trying to rescue any survivors but the navy said it had not yet found any signs of life.
Navy chief Admiral D.K. Joshi said divers had managed to pry open the main hatch of the submarine and were trying to find their way through the vessel.
"Whilst we hope for the best, we are prepared for the worst," he said.
"There is a possibility, however remote it could be, of an air pocket.
"There is a possibility, however remote it might be, of someone having grabbed a breathing set," he told a news conference.
The Indian navy has launched an investigation The submarine is submerged at its berth in the naval dockyard with only a portion visible above the surface.
Admiral Joshi added: "Just short of midnight, there were two rapid and near-simultaneous major explosions on board the submarine, which resulted in a major and rapid spread of fire on board.
"It is some of the ordinance on board that seem to have exploded."
Sky's Neville Lazarus, reporting from Delhi, said there were unconfirmed reports of missile parts being found on the dockyard.
A number of sailors managed to jump off the submarine and some of those are now in a military hospital.
The blaze was put out after two hours, with more than a dozen fire engines tackling the fire.
The 16-year-old Russian-made sub is reported to have been completely loaded, either ready for a patrol or just back from one.
In February 2010, it also suffered a fire while docked in Visakhapatnam city in southern India, killing a 24-year-old sailor and leaving two others with burns.
Later that year, the Indian Defence Ministry and Russia's Zvezdochka shipyard signed a contract for an upgrade programme worth $80m (£52m), including a complete overhaul and upgrading of its weaponry.
The diesel-powered submarine - one of 14 owned by India - was handed back to the navy in early 2013.
It is still covered by a Russian warranty and eight Zvezdochka employees were at the Mumbai port when it sank.
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