Naval officer dies fighting fire on board INS Vikramaditya

Bengaluru: A naval officer was killed in fire-fighting efforts on board aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya on Friday.

The fire is said to have started in the engine room in the morning as the ship was entering the 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 led the fire-fighting efforts in the affected compartment and while the fire was brought under control, the officer suffered a loss of consciousness owing to smoke and fumes, the Navy said.

He was immediately evacuated to a naval hospital at Karwar for medical attention. However, the officer could not be revived, it said.

The 30-year-old Lieutenant Commander was a resident of Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh and was married only a month ago.

A Board of Inquiry to investigate the circumstances of the incident has been ordered.

INS Vikramaditya is India's only aircraft carrier and saw a toxic gas leak in 2016 where a sailor and a civilian were killed.