Navy frigate INS Betwa righted at Mumbai dockyard

Two people were killed and 14 injured when the 4,000-tonne guided missile frigate suffered a mishap last December.

Navy frigate INS Betwa tipped over and crashed during undocking in Mumbai on December 5, 2016. Photo: Special Arrangement

Indian Navy frigate INS Betwa, which toppled in a dockyard in Mumbai in December 2016, has been salvaged and righted.

In a related move, the Board of Inquiry (BoI) constituted to inquire into the incident has submitted its report to the Western Naval Command headquarters.

"The ship was made upright on Tuesday night and is now floating on even keel. The condition is good. There is some water inside which is being pumped out," Navy Spokesperson Capt DK Sharna said on Wednesday.

The ship would now be moved to a nearby dock either Hughes or Duncan.

Two people were killed and 14 injured when the 4,000-tonne guided missile frigate suffered a mishap on December 5, 2016 while it was being undocked during a scheduled two-year refit. The refit began on April 15, 2016 and scheduled to be completed on April 15, 2018.

INS Betwa that tipped over and crashed during undocking in Mumbai on December 5, 2016. Photo: Special Arrangement

 

The Navy will now ascertain the damage to the ship and Capt. Sharma said that the repair and refit would be completed as per schedule.

The salvage operation was carried out by specialist firm Resolve Marine Group which was selected through tendering process and cost about Rs. 18.5 crore.