Navy Officer Dies During Firefighting Ops Onboard INS Vikramaditya

The Indian Navy has ordered a Board of Inquiry to probe the incident.

A naval officer died during firefighting operations onboard the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya in Karwar, Karnataka, on Friday, 26 April.

The officer has been identified as Lieutenant commander DS Chauhan. Hailing from Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam, Chauhan was 30 years old and had married recently, according to reports.

The fire was reported Friday morning when the ship was entering harbour in Karwar in Karnataka.

The Indian Navy has ordered a Board of Inquiry to probe the circumstances of the incident.

The fire was controlled by its crew preventing any serious damage to the warship’s combat capability, the navy said in a statement.

“Lt Cdr DS Chauhan bravely led the firefighting efforts in the affected compartment. Whilst the fire was brought under control, the officer suffered loss of consciousness owing to the smoke and fumes during the firefighting efforts.”

Navy statement

The navy added that the officer was immediately evacuated to the Naval hospital for medical attention, but could not be revived.