INS Betwa slips at Naval dockyard

An enquiry will be launched into what exactly caused the vessel to slip, the extent of damage is being assessed by navy officials

INS Betwa, a front line Brahmaputra-class frigate of the Indian Navy, which was undergoing refit at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai slipped on the dock blocks while the vessel was being undocked around 1.50pm on Monday.

INS Betwa is a Brahmaputra-class guided missile frigate and was on a refit as it had met with an accident. (HT file photo)

Two sailors are reported to be missing. Search operations to track them are underway .

Fourteen sailors suffered minor injuries in the incident, said Captain DK Sharma Indian Navy spokesperson.

While an enquiry will be launched into what exactly caused the vessel to slip, the extent of damage is being assessed by navy officials.

Explaining the situation, Captain Sharma said that the 126-metre-long, 3,850-tonne ship, tipped over while it was being undocked. The mast of the ship hit the dockyard ground, he said.

INS Betwa had run aground in January 2014 and collided with an unidentified object that led to a crack in its sonar system, and had also seen saltwater ingress into sensitive equipment.

Recent accidents

January 2014: In the first week of January, INS Betwa reported a rupture on the surface of its sonar dome and had to be dry-docked for investigation

December 2013: The engine room of INS Konkan, a minesweeper, caught fire in Vizag

December 2013: A fishing vessel sank after colliding with INS Talwar near Ratnagiri district

August 2013: INS Sindhurakshak exploded inside the dockyard, killing all on board. The a Kilo-class submarine later sank

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