Naval officer dies in fire onboard INS Vikramaditya

KARWAR: A naval officer died Friday after a fire broke out onboard INS Vikramaditya, India's only aircraft carrier while entering the harbour in Karnataka's Karwar.

"Lieutenant Commander DS Chauhan bravely led the firefighting efforts in the affected compartment," the Navy said in a statement.

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