Mumbai. A fire broke out in a naval warship during repairs at the naval dockyard. The Navy said that a junior sailor is missing, search for him is underway while all other personnel are safe. A Navy spokesperson said that a fire broke out in the warship INS Brahmaputra at the Mumbai Naval Dockyard on Sunday evening during repairs and the ship tilted to one side.
The Navy spokesperson said that the ship’s crew had brought the fire under control by Monday morning with the help of firefighters from Mumbai Dockyard and other ships in the port. Later in the afternoon, the ship started tilting to one side. Despite all efforts, the ship could not be straightened. The ship continued to tilt forward along its berth and is now lying on one side.
All personnel except a junior sailor have been accounted for, the Navy said, adding that the search for the sailor is on. The Indian Navy has ordered an inquiry to investigate the accident.
Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi has informed Defense Minister Rajnath Singh about the incident. Rajnath Singh discussed the losses caused in the incident and prayed for the safety of the missing sailor.
INS Brahmaputra is the first ship in the indigenously built ‘Brahmaputra’ class of guided missile frigates. It was inducted into the Indian Navy in April 2000. The ship has a complement of 40 officers and 330 sailors.
The ship is fitted with medium-range, short-range and anti-aircraft guns, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles and torpedo launchers. The ship is fitted with a range of sensors covering all aspects of maritime warfare and is capable of operating Seaking and Chetak helicopters.