INS Brahmaputra Majorly Damaged in Fire at Mumbai Naval Dockyard
- Posted on July 23, 2024
- News
- By Arijit Dutta
- 193 Views
INS Brahmaputra, an Indian Navy frigate, caught fire during refit in Mumbai. The ship is now lying on its side, with one sailor missing. The incident raises concerns about naval safety protocols and impacts India's maritime capabilities.
A large-scale accident has occurred at the Mumbai naval dockyard: the Indian Navy’s multirole frigate INS Brahmaputra is engulfed in the fire that started on Sunday evening. The ship which was afloat for a refit is said to have capsized and the structural soundness of the vessel is questionable.
The navy authorities said that the fire was finally put off by Monday morning with the cooperation of the ship’s crew, the naval dockyard fire fighting team, and the other ships’ team from the harbor. Nevertheless, the crew tried to regain the vessel’s equilibrium and could not prevent the ship from lying on its side.
Of particular worry is the disappearance of a junior sailor whose whereabouts cannot be ascertained. There have been reports of continued search and rescue missions, with the Navy claiming that all other individuals have been accounted for and moved to safety.
The INS Brahmaputra which was commissioned in the year 2000 is a guided missile frigate for which the construction was done in India. As a ship with enhanced armament and capable of undertaking most operations of naval warfare, its demobilization is a great blow to India’s navy.
The Navy has since opened an enquiry to determine the cause of the fire and subsequent listing of the vessel. This incident makes one to think about the safety measures that are taken during the refit and whether it has a long term effect on the navy of India.
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While the circumstances are still unfolding, efforts are made to find the missing sailor as well as determine the full damage to this valuable naval vessel. This is an indication that even during simple operations such as refueling naval activities are very risky.
