New Delhi:

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 had 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.

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The Indian Navy’s INS Brahmaputra caught fire while it was undergoing maintenance at the Mumbai naval dockyard. A sailor is missing, and the ship has tilted to one side. The navy said all other personnel have been accounted for.

Here are 5 facts on INS Brahmaputra

Mumbai/New Delhi:

An Indian Navy warship which was undergoing maintenance at the naval dockyard in Mumbai caught fire today. The navy said a junior sailor is missing and rescue teams are looking for him. All other personnel have been accounted for, the navy said.

The fire broke out on board the multirole frigate INS Brahmaputra on Sunday evening while she was undergoing refit at the Mumbai naval dockyard, the navy said, adding the ship is lying on its side.

“… The fire was brought under control by the ship’s crew with assistance of firefighters from Naval Dockyard, Mumbai and other ships in harbour, by [Monday] morning. Further, follow-on actions including sanitisation checks for assessment of residual risk of fire were carried out,” the navy said in a statement.

The navy said that subsequently, in the afternoon, the ship started listing to one 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 said.

“All personnel have been accounted for except one junior sailor, for whom the search is in progress. An inquiry has been ordered by the Indian Navy to investigate the accident,” the navy said.

The INS Brahmaputra is the first of the indigenously built ‘Brahmaputra’ class guided missile frigate. It was commissioned into the Indian Navy in April 2000. The ship is manned by a crew of 40 officers and 330 sailors.

The ship is fitted with a medium range, close range and anti-aircraft guns, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles and torpedo launchers. The ship has a wide array of sensors covering all facets of maritime warfare and is capable of operating Seaking and Chetak helicopters.

The INS Brahmaputra has a displacement of 5,300 tonnes, a length of 125 metres, a beam of 14.4 metres and is capable of speed in excess of 27 knots.