Navy removes unexploded warhead from struck ship

In a risky operation on the high seas, Indian Navy safely disposed of an unexploded warhead recovered from the fuel storage compartment of a missile-hit crude oil tanker 50 nautical miles off the Kochi coast.

The operation was conducted when the vessel was sailing to Kochi from UAE’s Fujairah, the defence ministry said on Thursday.

The Navy responded when the Marshall Islands-flagged MT Olympic Life reported an explosion on its port side aft at 09.45 UTC (3.15pm IST) on May 26 while sailing around 60 nautical miles east of Oman, as per UK Maritime Trade Operations data.

It is still not known who fired the missile.

While reporting about the unexploded ordnance, MT Olympic Life, which can carry roughly two million barrels of crude oil, continued towards Kochi. MoD said there was no Indian among the crew.

The Navy team adopted a deliberate and phased approach to ensure the safety of the ship, its crew and surrounding port infrastructure.

Projectile penetrated vessel’s hull, was lodged in fuel tank

On receiving the information, the Navy initiated a coordinated response. Kochi-based Southern Naval Command deployed a specialist explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team for detailed assessment, the ministry said. The team confirmed that a projectile had penetrated the vessel’s hull, traversed multiple structural compartments and was lodged inside the fuel tank, it said.

The EOD team employed advanced diagnostic methods to identify and isolate the detonation mechanism before carrying out the safe extraction of the warhead along with associated debris. The recovered ordnance has been transported to a secure facility for safe stowage and detailed examination, the Navy said.

After the removal of the warhead, the tanker safely arrived at Kochi port on Wednesday, and is currently docked there. All crew members and the tanker are safe.

The ministry said the Navy’s prompt response, to an emergency at sea, irrespective of the nationality of the crew or the ownership of MT Olympic Life, reaffirms its role as a responsible maritime force dedicated to global maritime safety and a trusted and preferred security partner in the region.


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