2 dead as INS Betwa, Navy's missile frigate, tips over at Mumbai dockyard

14 others have been injured. The ship was undergoing refit and the incident happened as it was undocking.

The INS Betwa tipped over and crashed while undocking.

Guided missile frigate INS Betwa suffered a mishap at the Naval dockyard in Mumbai while it was at the dry dock. Two crew members were killed and 14 were injured in the incident.

"The incident occurred at 13 50 hrs during undocking evolution wherein it is suspected that the dock-block mechanism has failed," Navy spokesperson Captain DK Sharma said on Monday.

Due to this the mast of the ship has hit the ground on the left side. Capt. Sharma explained that docking and undocking are very precise and complex processes.

Initially, 14 crew members were reportedly injured and two were missing. After a search the two were confirmed dead. The injured are being treated at Naval hospital INHS Asvini and are stable.

The ship was undergoing refit and the incident happened as it was undocking in the cruiser graving dock of the dockyard.

INS Betwa is a 4000 tonne frigate of the Brahmaputra class built by Garden Reach Ship Builders of Kolkata and entered service in July 2004.

While pictures indicate extensive damage to the ship, the extent of it can only be ascertained after a thorough investigation.

Technical evaluation for making the ship upright is in progress and an inquiry has been ordered into the incident.