Ghazi wreck in Visakhapatnam echoes amid India-Pakistan tensions

The sinking of PNS Ghazi off Visakhapatnam during the 1971 war reshaped India's naval history and strategic dominance.

On the night of December 3, 1971, Visakhapatnam was wrapped in a wartime blackout. The eastern naval port, already on high alert amid rising tensions with Pakistan in the wake of the battle for the liberation of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), had dimmed its lights and quieted its streets. Along the coast, families huddled indoors, familiar by now with the shrill warning of sirens.

Cloaked by darkness at sea, Pakistan submarine, PNS Ghazi, crept through the waters of the Bay of Bengal with a singular mission: to sink India’s prized aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, which it believed was anchored in the harbour.

It was past dinner time in Dondaparthy when history enthusiast Vijjeswarapu Edward Paul heard a muffled but powerful sound, jolting the silence of the Port City. “It felt like an earthquake. We were terrified. Rumours spread like wildfire that war had broken out,” he recalls.

That same night, hundreds across Visakhapatnam were left bewildered by the mysterious blast. Noel Thomas, a member of the Anglo-Indian community and a native of the city, was posted in Bhopal at the time. “My friends back home spoke of a massive explosion near the harbour, but no one knew what had happened and where. Radio was our only lifeline to information, and for days, there was just silence,” says Noel. The mystery was finally unravelled a few days later when All India Radio announced that PNS Ghazi had exploded and sunk off the coast of Visakhapatnam during a covert operation.

What unfolded that night on December 4, 1971, would go on to shape not just the history of Visakhapatnam but also redefine India’s naval might. The sinking of PNS Ghazi during the 1971 Indo-Pak war remains a pivotal moment in the maritime history of the subcontinent. The incident that happened off the eastern coast of Visakhapatnam is seen as a symbol of strategic dominance at sea. Today, as India and Pakistan continue to navigate a complex relationship marked by diplomatic tensions and regional security challenges, the Ghazi incident serves as a reminder of how maritime strength can shape national narratives.

The recent military conflict between India and Pakistan has stirred conversations across Visakhapatnam, bringing back memories buried deep in collective consciousness.

For many residents, especially those with a long-standing connection to the city’s maritime and naval history, the current tensions bring back the echoes of the 1971 war and of a submarine whose silent story rests beneath the sands of time.