‘We'll locate missing sailor soon': Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan on damaged INS Brahmaputra, detailed probe ordered

Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan expressed concern over the accident involving the INS Brahmaputra warship and said that a search operation is underway to locate the Indian Navy sailor who went missing after the fire. The warship is resting on one side in Mumbai's Naval Dockyard after a fire incident occurred on board on Sunday night.

While elucidating on the accident, Swaminathan said that the missing sailor was visible when he was trying to come out of the ship and swim ashore, but later, other personnel weren't able to trace him.

"It is a sad incident, but the navy will inquire into what happened, and whatever corrective measures need to be taken will certainly be taken. The ship had a fire, like all of you know, and in fighting the fire, a lot of water was used. Perhaps because of that, some of the stability of the ship may have gotten upset, so the ship just tilted to one side and is resting on the jetty," he said on Tuesday.

Commenting on the damage caused to the ship by the accident, Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan said that the ship can be very well made “upright, and the water can be pumped out to reset the ship as soon as possible.”

The Naval headquarters has ordered a detailed probe led by a Rear Admiral to determine the exact causes and establish accountability based on the inquiry report.

The warship rests on one side in the Naval Dockyard after a fire incident on board Sunday night. Indian Navy chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi has given strict instructions to the officials concerned to be very careful in handling of vital national assets during his visit to Mumbai to review the cause of the accident, Defence Sources told ANI.

The Navy chief was briefed about the incident by Western Command officials about the accident and the steps being taken by the force, they said.