Sailor's body missing in INS Brahmaputra fire found after intensive ops

The body of Leading Seaman Sitendra Singh was recovered on Wednesday following intensive diving operations after he went missing during a fire incident on the INS Brahmaputra at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai.

The Defence Ministry in a statement today said the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi had visited Mumbai on July 23 and reviewed the sequence of events leading to the accident and efforts undertaken to locate the missing sailor.

Admiral Tripathi and all personnel of the Indian Navy extended their deepest condolences to the family of Sitendra Singh and emphasised that the Indian Navy stands resolutely with the bereaved family in their hour of grief.

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.

The CNS directed that all actions by the Command and Naval Headquarters to make INS Brahmaputra seaworthy and combat-ready be initiated immediately.

Interacting with the crew of INS Brahmaputra, CNS exhorted the crew to work towards early operationalisation of the ship in the true spirit of the Indian Navy.

On July 21, a fire broke out on the warship INS Brahmaputra, which was undergoing refit at the Naval dockyard.

A day later, Navy Chief Admiral Tripathi apprised Defence Minister Rajnath Singh of the fire breakout onboard the Indian Naval Ship Brahmaputra and the damages caused by the incident.

"Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi has apprised RM Shri @rajnathsingh of the fire breakout onboard Indian Naval Ship Brahmaputra and the damages caused by the incident," Rajnath Singh's office said on social media platform X on July 22.

The Defence Minister prayed for the safety of the missing sailor and directed the Navy Chief to take appropriate action, the tweet read.

The INS Brahmaputra is the first of India's indigenously built Brahmaputra-class guided missile frigates.