A fire erupted on the INS Brahmaputra, an Indian Navy multirole frigate, while undergoing maintenance at the Mumbai naval dockyard. The incident occurred on Sunday evening, and efforts to extinguish the fire continued into Monday morning.
Despite the prompt response from the ship’s crew and firefighters from the Naval Dockyard and other ships in the harbor, the frigate began listing to one side by Monday afternoon.
The Indian Navy has reported that all personnel have been accounted for, except for one junior sailor who is currently missing. Search and rescue operations for the sailor are ongoing.
The navy has initiated an inquiry to investigate the cause and circumstances of the incident.
The INS Brahmaputra, commissioned in April 2000, is the first of the indigenously built ‘Brahmaputra’ class guided missile frigates. The ship is equipped with medium and close-range guns, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, and torpedo launchers.
It also supports operations for Seaking and Chetak helicopters. The frigate has a crew of 40 officers and 330 sailors, measures 125 meters in length, and displaces 5,300 tonnes.
This accident underscores the risks associated with ship maintenance and operations within the confined spaces of a naval dockyard. Further details are expected as the navy’s investigation progresses.
