Archive · 15 Aug 2026
Navy officer who braved burning LPG tanker awarded Shaurya Chakra
A brave Indian Navy officer named Lieutenant Commander Shivam Kumar did something incredibly courageous.
His warship, INS Trikand, was sent to help a huge ship called MT Falcon that carries gas called LPG.
The MT Falcon had exploded and caught fire while sailing through a dangerous area called the Gulf of Aden.
Two Indian sailors were missing, and everyone thought they might still be trapped inside the burning ship.
The ship was so dangerous that it could have exploded again at any moment.
It was also in a zone where hostile attacks could happen, making the rescue even riskier.
Despite all this danger, Kumar went inside the burning, gas-filled ship many times to search for the missing sailors.
Sadly, the sailors had passed away, and Kumar recovered their bodies from badly damaged parts of the ship.
He made sure their remains were brought out safely and with dignity.
For his bravery, Kumar was awarded a special medal called the Shaurya Chakra.
Lieutenant Commander Shivam Kumar received the Shaurya Chakra for exceptional gallantry.
He repeatedly entered the burning, gas-filled compartments of the LPG tanker MT Falcon to recover two missing Indian crew members.
MT Falcon, a Cameroon-flagged LPG tanker, exploded on 18 October 2025 while transiting the Houthi attack zone in the Gulf of Aden.
The structurally damaged vessel, with a continuing LPG leak, posed a risk of catastrophic secondary explosion and hostile action.
Kumar recovered the dismembered and decomposed mortal remains of the deceased crew, ensuring their safe and dignified retrieval.
- Who
- Lieutenant Commander Shivam Kumar, NBCD Officer onboard INS Trikand of the Indian Navy
- What
- Awarded the Shaurya Chakra for repeatedly entering a burning, gas-filled LPG tanker to recover two missing Indian crew members
- When
- Incident occurred on 18 October 2025
- Where
- Gulf of Aden, within the Houthi Attack Zone
- Why
- For exceptional gallantry and personal risk beyond normal call of duty, enabling the safe and dignified recovery of the deceased crew's mortal remains
- Award
- Shaurya Chakra
- Recipient
- Lieutenant Commander Shivam Kumar
- Role
- NBCD Officer, INS Trikand (Indian Navy)
- Affected Vessel
- MT Falcon (Cameroon-flagged LPG tanker)
- Incident Date
- 18 October 2025
- Location
- Gulf of Aden, Houthi Attack Zone
- Missing Crew
- Two Indian crew members
- Main Hazards
- Secondary LPG explosion, fire, structural collapse, hostile action