Task force to review safety protocols following INS Brahmaputra fire

A portion of the 3,850-tonne guided missile frigate Brahmaputra caught fire while undergoing a major refurbishment at the Naval Dockyards on July 21.

A special task force (STF) under naval headquarters has been established by Navy chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi to examine the safety, security, and standard operating procedures following the fire on board the INS Brahmaputra on July 21, the Hindustan Times has reported.

The STF, led by a rear admiral, is expected to deliver its report over the next 60 days. Despite navy's silence on the matter, Admiral Tripathi has provided Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with an initial assessment of the INS Brahmaputra fire after a site visit on July 23. Both Prime Minister’s Office and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) have been updated on the incident at the Mumbai Naval Dockyards, the report cited sources as saying.

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a high-level meeting with the military services had stressed the need for costly naval platform upkeep and made it plain that he wanted responsibility fixed for any incident.

He also told the then naval chief Admiral K Hari Kumar and CDS General Anil Chauhan that the Indian Navy should maintain the combat readiness of all of platforms before acquiring new ones, the report said.

Moneycontrol couldn’t verify the report independently.

A portion of the 3,850-tonne guided missile frigate Brahmaputra, which was constructed at a cost of Rs 450 crore, caught fire while undergoing a major refurbishment at the Naval Dockyards.

Although a Board of Inquiry has been established to investigate the incident and fix responsibility, the fire started during welding park in an area beneath the deck, the report said.

The fire, which began on July 21 evening and was put out the next day, left a sailor dead and two wounded, and caused the ship to list at a 45-degree angle on her port (left) side.

The naval headquarters and defence minister have received an initial assessment of the accident. The special task force (STF) will scrutinise the current procedures to address fire, flooding, and grounding issues on naval platforms and propose improvements.

It will also review safety, security, and organisational practices, including equipment, personnel, and training, and evaluate naval bases for security.

The STF is also tasked with developing guidelines to address sabotage and emerging threats, the report added.