INS Brahmaputra, an Indian Navy warship undergoing maintenance at the Mumbai naval dockyard, caught fire on Sunday, July 21. According to the Indian Navy, the ship experienced severe listing to the port side.
“Despite all efforts, the ship could not be brought to an upright position. The ship continued to list further alongside her berth and is presently resting on one side,” the Navy stated.
The fire broke out onboard INS Brahmaputra, a multi-role frigate, on the evening of July 21 during its refit. A junior sailor is missing, and the search is ongoing. “All personnel have been accounted for except one junior sailor,” the Navy said. The government later informed Defense Minister Rajnath Singh about the situation and the missing sailor.
“Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi has apprised RM Shri @rajnathsingh of the fire breakout onboard INS Brahmaputra and the damages caused by the incident. RM prays for the safety of the missing sailor,” read an official tweet.
The Indian Navy has ordered an inquiry to investigate the incident. The fire was brought under control by the ship’s crew, with the assistance of firefighters from the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai, and other ships in the harbor, by the morning of July 22. Follow-up actions, including sanitization checks to assess residual fire risk, were carried out.
“INS Brahmaputra, a multi-role frigate, caught fire on the evening of July 21 while undergoing refit. The fire was brought under control by the ship’s crew, with the assistance of firefighters from Naval Dockyard, Mumbai (ND Mbi), and other ships in the harbor, by the morning of July 22,” the Navy reported.
Commissioned into the Indian Navy in April 2000, INS Brahmaputra is the first of the indigenous ‘Brahmaputra’ class guided missile frigates. Operated by a dedicated crew of 40 officers and 330 sailors, the ship demonstrates India’s naval prowess and commitment to self-reliance in defense technology.
The ship is equipped with medium-range, close-range, and anti-aircraft guns, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, and torpedo launchers. It also features an array of sensors for maritime warfare and is capable of operating Seaking and Chetak helicopters.
