Three sailors were killed and 11 injured in a blast inside the frigate INS Ranvir at Mumbai's Naval Post Yard late Tuesday evening. The Marines, who were seriously injured in the fire after the explosion, have been admitted to the local Naval Hospital. The cause of the explosion is yet to be ascertained. A Board of Inquiry has been constituted to ascertain the cause of the incident.
The Navy said in a statement that an internal compartment of INS Ranvir at Naval Dockyard Mumbai exploded, causing the ship to catch fire. Though the ship's crew quickly doused the fire, three naval personnel lost their lives in the accident. There was no major damage to the ship as rescue operations started immediately.
The current Navy Chief has been in charge of the warship
INS Ranvir is a warship originally stationed on the East Coast (Vizag). It was stationed in Mumbai from November 2021 and was to return soon. A senior military official said the identities of the casualties would be made public after the families of the victims were informed. The ship was built in the former Soviet Union. Current Navy Chief R. Harikumar has also been in charge of this ship. The sailors injured in the blast have been admitted to INS Ashwini Hospital for treatment. Also, no information has been given regarding the dead so far.
The warship is equipped with deadly explosive weapons
INS Ranvir, the fourth of the five Rajput class destroyers, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 28 October 1986. It is manned by a crew of 30 officers and 310 sailors. The weapons on-board INS Ranvir include surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft and anti-missile guns, torpedoes and anti-submarine rockets . Navy sources say that even after this accident, the weapons and explosives equipped on the ship are safe and the ship has not suffered any major damage.
Capable of maritime diplomacy and counter terrorism
INS Ranvir's maritime roles include coastal and offshore patrolling, surveillance of sea lanes, maritime diplomacy, counter-terrorism and anti-piracy operations. The ship is also capable of operating the Kamov 28 Anti-Submarine Helicopter, which enables the ship to perform a variety of roles including coastal and offshore patrolling, monitoring of sea lines of communication. The name "Ranveer" means the valor and valor of the warriors who fought in the war.
Accidents have happened on warships in the past too
1. In August 2013, an explosion on the INS Sindhurakshak at the Mumbai port claimed the lives of 18 sailors and caused heavy damage to the submarine.
2. In June 2016, refitting work on naval aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya was underway at the Karwar Naval Base near Goa, when toxic gas leaked at the STP sewage plant. Two sailors have died in this accident and four were rescued.
3. In April 2016 also, a serious accident occurred when a bottle burst inside the helmet of Navy's diving ship INS Inspector. Three sailors were injured in the accident, while a seriously injured sailor had to amputate a part of his leg.
4. In January 2016, Navy's fast interceptor boat was caught in the sea due to fire. There were six sailors aboard the boat at the time of the accident but all were rescued.