NEW DELHI, Feb 2: Indian Navy said on Saturday that five sailors who were widely reported to have been killed in a mystery blast aboard a warship on Friday had in fact died after accidentally inhaling a poison gas.

“Inhalation of poisonous hydrogen sulphide gas and not an explosion or fire had resulted in the death of five sailors on board the latest warship INS Jalashva last evening,” the Indian Navy said in a statement.

A navy spokesperson denied any explosion or fire in the troop carrier, previously known as USS Trenton, while it was engaged in a military exercise in deep sea between Vishakpatnam and Port Blair on Friday evening.

He said the accident was caused by hydrogen sulphide gas that the sailors inhaled accidentally.