Fire on INS Brahmaputra: Body of missing sailor found

The body of Leading Seaman Sitendra Singh, who went missing following a major fire onboard India's frontline warship INS Brahmaputra at the naval dockyard in Mumbai three days ago, was found on Wednesday, officials said.

The warship was severely damaged and tilted heavily to one side following the fire on Sunday evening. The warship is now resting on her left side.

Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi visited the naval dockyard on Tuesday and reviewed the sequence of events leading to the accident.

The Navy said Admiral Tripathi directed Western Naval Command and the Naval headquarters to make INS Brahmaputra seaworthy and combat ready.

"The Chief of Naval Staff was briefed on the mitigating actions taken to limit the extent of the damage, plan to recover and undertake repairs to restore the ship's functionality at the earliest," it said.

"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 Navy said in a statement.

It said the body of Singh was found after intensive diving operations.

"Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, and all personnel of the Indian Navy extend their deepest condolences to the family of Sitendra Singh," it said.

"The Indian Navy stands resolutely with the bereaved family in this hour of grief," the Navy said.

On Monday, it said all personnel have been accounted for except one junior sailor.

INS Brahmaputra is the first of the indigenously built 'Brahmaputra' class-guided missile frigates and it was commissioned into the Indian Navy in April 2000.

The nearly 3,600-tonne ship is fitted with an array of weapons including surface-to-surface missiles, surface-to-air missiles, medium range guns, anti-submarine rockets, radars, sonars and state-of-the-art electronic warfare systems.

INS Brahmaputra has a length of 125 metres, a beam of 14.4 metres and is capable of sailing at a speed of 30 knots.

The ship, when it sails, is manned by a crew of 40 officers and 360 sailors.