Indian Navy’s warship INS Brahmaputra severely damaged in fire

New Delhi/Mumbai: Indian Navy’s frontline guided missile frigate INS Brahmaputra sustained severe damage and tilted heavily to one side following a fire onboard the ship while it was undergoing refit at the naval dockyard in Mumbai.

One junior sailor went missing following the fire on Sunday evening and rescue operations are going on to trace him, Navy officials said, adding the warship is now resting on her left side.

Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on Monday apprised Defence Minister Rajnath Singh about the fire incident and the damages caused to the ship.

Singh’s office said the defence minister prayed for the safety of the missing sailor and that he directed the Navy chief to take “appropriate action”.

INS Brahmaputra is the first of the indigenously built ‘Brahmaputra’ class-guided missile frigates and it was commissioned into the Indian Navy in April 2000.

The nearly 3,600-tonne ship is fitted with an array of weapons including surface-to-surface missiles, surface-to-air missiles, medium range guns, anti-submarine rockets, radars, sonars and state-of-the-art electronic warfare systems.

“A fire had broken out onboard Indian Naval Ship Brahmaputra, a multi-role Frigate, on the evening of July 21 while she was undergoing refit at the naval dockyard,” the Navy said.

It said fire was brought under control by the ship’s crew with assistance of firefighters from the dockyard and other ships in harbour by this morning.