New Delhi: Nearly five months after the fire on board guided missile frigate INS Brahmaputra that tilted the vessel, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Tripathi has announced that the ship has now been returned to an upright position.
During the incident, Leading Seaman Sitendra Singh went missing and was subsequently reported dead, after an intensive diving operation by the Navy.
The Navy is known to have brought in a team of international experts and specifically a Singapore-based firm to assess the damage and begin salvaging operations.
Admiral Tripathi, while speaking at the annual Navy Day press conference in New Delhi Monday, said, “We had an unfortunate incident onboard INS Brahmaputra which led to its tilting. I am happy to report that the ship has been righted and is presently in a dry dock in Mumbai for assessing the extent of damage, and thereafter we will decide as to what is to be done with the ship and to what level you want to take it.” The board of inquiry, tasked with investigating the fire and the subsequent capsizing, will reveal the cause behind the incident.
The incident occurred when the ship was undergoing refits at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. The fire was brought under control by the crew with the help of firefighters at the dockyard, a formal press statement by the Navy had said at the time.
However, despite efforts, the ship tilted and rested on one side.
The fire was detected by the ship’s duty staff while carrying out routine maintenance work.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
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