INS Betwa to be uprighted in couple of months

Missile frigate INS Betwa, which tipped over while undocking on December 5 last year, is likely to be set upright in another two months as the Indian Navy on Monday signed a contract with a marine salvage firm for 'righting' the boat.

According to sources, the contract was signed on Monday with Resolve Marine, which is also the firm that salvaged submarine Sindhurakshak which suffered an explosion and sank on August 14, 2013 killing 18 crew members.

Sources said the cost of getting the boat upright will be less than Rs 20 crore, and is likely to take around two months.

"The work will be done in a fast-track manner. It will take around four weeks to mobilise the resources, and another four weeks for righting the boat," a navy official said.

Once the boat is uprighted, it will be handed over to the Indian Navy for further repairs and rectifications.

The 3,800 tonne Brahmaputra-Class frigate was undergoing a refit at the dry dock and slipped while it was being undocked, killing two naval personnel and injuring 14 others.

Water has already been drained out of the dock where it toppled over.

--IANS

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