Indian Navy Aircraft Carrier INS Vikramaditya catches fire,1 officer Dead

“Lt Cdr DS Chauhan lost his life after a fire broke out onboard aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya while entering the Karwar harbour. The fire was brought under control but the officer who led the firefight suffered loss of consciousness and could not be revived,” the statement said.

It is with profound grief & regret that we report the sad & untimely demise of Lieutenant Commander DS Chauhan, a young colleague and a brave brother-in-arms, onboard INS Vikramaditya. He laid down his life fighting a fire in a machinery compartment 1/3 pic.twitter.com/E2NUPJtSFK

— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) April 26, 2019

While the fire was brought under control, the officer lost consciousness due to the smoke and fumes during the firefighting efforts. He was immediately evacuated to the Naval Hospital at Karwar but could not be revived, the Navy said.

The Navy added that the fire was brought under control by the ship’s crew “in a swift action preventing any serious damage affecting the ship’s combat capability.”

Naval Officer DS Chauhan Dies In Fire Onboard INS Vikramaditya Near Karnataka’s Karwar. RIP !#INSVikramaditya pic.twitter.com/q1PynNIgxS

— IndiaTime24news (@ITime24news) April 26, 2019

The Navy has reportedly called a Board of Inquiry to investigate the incident.

The $2.3 billion aircraft carrier came to India from Russia in January 2014. INS Vikramaditya, which was commissioned into the Indian Navy in November 2013 at the Sevmash shipyard in north Russia’s Severodvinsk, is based at its home port at Karwar in Karnataka.