File Photo shows an Indian Naval ship (INS) Kolkata berths at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, India. Photo: Xinhua

As many as 21 Indian Navy (IN) personnel at "INS Angre", a shore establishment at Mumbai city in southwestern state of Maharashtra, have tested positive for novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), confirmed a senior IN official in New Delhi to Xinhua on Saturday.

"INS Angre" works as a base depot for ships and units based in Mumbai.

"A total of 21 serving personnel have been tested positive for COVID-19 within Naval premises at Mumbai. This number includes 20 sailors of INS Angre, a shore establishment at Mumbai," said the IN official.

A statement issued by the IN said most of these personnel were "asymptomatic" and had been traced to a single sailor who had tested positive on April 7.

"They all reside in the same accommodation block at INS Angre. All primary contacts were tested for COVID-19. Entire living block was immediately put under quarantine - containment zone and INS Angre too is under Lockdown. All actions as per established COVID-19 protocol are being taken," said the IN statement, available with Xinhua.

It further stated that- "There are no cases of infection onboard ships and submarines. Indian Navy continues to actively support the national effort in the fight against COVID-19."

According to latest figures issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday morning, the death toll due to COVID-19 in India rose to 480 and the total number of confirmed cases in the country reached 14,378.

The maximum number of deaths and positive COVID-19 cases, 480 and 3,323 respectively, have been reported from the state of Maharashtra.