KOCHI: The Indian Navy has successfully recovered and disposed of an unexploded missile warhead that pierced the hull of a crude oil tanker, which was hit while passing through the conflict zone in West Asia on transit from the UAE to Kochi.
The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker MT Olympic Life did not have any Indian nationals on board. The vessel, which was on passage from Fujairah in the UAE to Kochi, reported an explosion in its hull while off the coast of Oman on May 26. The vessel reported the presence of an unexploded ordnance as it continued its transit towards Kochi.
On receipt of information through the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region, the Indian Navy initiated a coordinated response. Kochi-based Southern Naval Command deployed a specialist Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team for a detailed assessment. The team confirmed that a projectile was lodged inside a fuel tank.
After completion of the safety procedures, the EOD team employed advanced diagnostic methods to identify and isolate the detonation mechanism before carrying out the safe extraction of the warhead.