Mumbai: Missing Sailor's Body Recovered 48 Hours After INS Brahmaputra Fire; Chief Of Naval Staff Reviews Safety Protocols

Mumbai: Nearly 48 hours after INS Brahmaputra caught fire, the body of the sailor who went missing in the accident was fished out on Wednesday. The Indian Navy leading seaman Sitendra Singh had gone missing after the blaze that erupted when the frigate ship was docked at Naval Dockyard on Sunday night. The frontline warship was severely damaged and tilted heavily on its left side after the fire.

“The Chief of Naval Staff directed that all actions by the Command and Naval Headquarters to make INS Brahmaputra seaworthy and combat ready are to be initiated immediately,” the Indian Navy said in a statement and added Singh’s mortal remains were found after intensive diving operations.

The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi visited Naval Dockyard to take stock of the situation and review the safety protocols of the Western Naval Command on Tuesday.

The indigenous guided missile frigate with a crew of 40 officers and 330 sailors was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 2000 and has medium range, close range and anti-aircraft guns, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles and torpedo launchers covering all facets of maritime warfare and is capable of operating Seaking and Chetak helicopters.

The Western Naval Command has been plagued with a dozen maritime disasters in the last 10 years. The incidents include major fires, collisions and explosions onboard the fleet of warships and submarines in Mumbai Harbour.