INS Brahmaputra Accident: Third Major Loss For Navy In Last 11 Years After INS Sindhurakshak And INS Betwa

On Sunday evening, a fire broke out aboard the Indian Navy warship INS Brahmaputra, which was undergoing maintenance at the naval dockyard in Mumbai. Despite efforts to control the situation, Navy officials report that a junior sailor is still missing. All other personnel have been accounted for.

The navy crew, with assistance from firefighters at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, and other ships in the harbor, brought the fire on the multirole frigate under control by Monday morning. Following containment of the fire, sanitization checks were conducted to assess any residual risks.

Navy chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi on Tuesday reviewed the damage to frigate INS Brahmaputra at Mumbai naval dockyard, two days after a fire broke out aboard the frontline warship, an official said.

However, the loss of naval assets during peacetime has become a major concern for the Navy. This incident marks the third such mishap involving an Indian Warship in the last 11 years.

On December 6, 2016, India’s prized warship INS Betwa, a guided missile frigate, tipped over and crashed onto its side while undocking in Mumbai, described by the navy as an “unprecedented and tragic” incident. Two sailors died, while 14 others were rescued with minor injuries.

Also Read: INS Brahmaputra Severely Damaged In Fire, Lying On Its Side; Sailor Missing

A similar incident occurred in August 2013, when India suffered one of its biggest peacetime military losses. The navy’s submarine, INS Sindhurakshak, exploded and sank in Bombay’s Naval Dockyards, resulting in the loss of 18 sailors.

An internal inquiry into the incidents revealed that critical Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) were violated, leading to these accidents.

INS Brahmaputra, the first of the indigenously built Brahmaputra-class guided missile frigates, joined the Indian Navy in April 2000. The ship is manned by a crew comprising 40 officers and 330 sailors. It is equipped with medium-range, close-range, and anti-aircraft guns, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, and torpedo launchers. The frigate also boasts a comprehensive array of sensors for maritime warfare and can operate Seaking and Chetak helicopters.