A naval officer on board INS Vikramaditya died on Friday morning after a fire broke out on the ship. The aircraft carrier was entering the harbour in Karnataka’s Karwar when the incident occurred.

According to a press release issued by the Navy, Lieutenant Commander DS Chauhan died after inhaling the fumes during the fire fighting operation. The fire had broken out in one of the compartments of the aircraft carrier. Firefighting operations prevented any serious damage to the ship, the press note stated.

“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,” the press release stated.

Lieutenant Commander Chauhan was rushed to INHS Patanjali, the Naval Hospital in Karwar for treatment. “However, the officer could not be revived,” the release added.

A board of inquiry to investigate the cause of the fire has been ordered by the Navy.

This is a developing story