Miscalculation likely behind warship mishap, says Parrikar

THE NAVY DOES NOT HAVE A CRANE BIG ENOUGH TO LIFT THE 3,850-TONNE FRIGATE AND HAS SOUGHT THE HELP OF FOREIGN EXPERTS FOR THE SALVAGE OPERATION

NEW DELHI: Two days after an Indian warship tipped over at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, defence minister Manohar Parrikar said “miscalculation of balance” may have been one of the reasons for the accident that killed two sailors.

INS Betwa, a Brahmaputraclass guided missile frigate, slipped on the dock blocks during a refit on Monday and the navy is assessing the extent of the damage to the warship. Fourteen personnel were also injured in the accident.

Parrikar, who was briefed on the incident by navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, talked about the significance of centre of gravity and how the balance of a warship can get disturbed during a refit as a lot of machinery and fixtures are removed.

“You are supposed to maintain it (balance). Something must have gone wrong in that,” Parrikar said at a conclave organised by a news channel.

He said while there could have been some miscalculation, the navy’s probe — headed by a two-star rear admiral — would establish what went wrong.

The navy does not have a crane big enough to lift the 3,850tonne frigate and has sought the help of foreign experts for the salvage operation. The navy hopes to salvage the warship commissioned in 2004 and make it battle ready at the earliest.

The vessel, measuring 126-metres in length, tipped over while it was being undocked, and the mast of the ship hit the ground.

INS Betwa had run aground in January 2014 and collided with an unidentified object which led to a crack in its sonar system, and had also seen saltwater ingress into sensitive equipment.

The navy has taken a strict view of the accident and will take stern action against those found guilty of lapses that led to the mishap, an officer said.