New Delhi:
An Indian Navy officer, identified as Lieutenant Commander DS Chauhan, died in a fire which broke out onboard INS Vikramaditya in Karnataka’s Karwar on Friday morning, the INS said in a statement. The Navy said while the fire was brought under control, the officer lost consciousness due to the smoke and fumes during the firefighting efforts. He was immediately taken to the Naval Hospital at Karwar but could not be revived, the Navy said.
A Board of Inquiry to investigate the fire incident has been ordered.
Indian Navy officer Lt Cdr DS Chauhan dies in firefighting efforts on-board INS Vikramaditya.
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India's largest warship -- aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya—was "operationally deployed" along with its fleet of MiG 29K combat aircraft in 2014.The 44,500-tonne aircraft carrier procured from Russia at a cost of USD 2.33 billion had arrived in India in January 2014 and is stationed at its home-base in Karwar in Karnataka.
The fire was reported Friday morning when the ship was entering harbour in Karwar in Karnataka. The fire was brought under control by the ship's crew in a swift action, preventing any serious damage to the carrier's combat capability, an official said. Lt Cdr DS Chauhan bravely led the fire fighting efforts in the affected compartment and while the fire was brought under control, the officer suffered loss of consciousness owing to smoke and fumes, the Navy said.