Steam pipe blast caused fire on INS Vikramaditya.

A blast in a steam pipe in the engine room of Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya is believed to have led to the fire that claimed the life of a naval officer on Friday, April 26 at INS Kadamba naval base.

Indian aircraft carrier, the INS Vikramaditya, ex-Admiral Gorshkov (Picture Source: Sevmash)

A blast in a steam pipe in the engine room of aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya is believed to have led to the fire that claimed the life of a naval officer on Friday at INS Kadamba naval base here. Nine others were injured in the accident. The blast damaged the fuel pipe causing the fire in the engine room.

Lieutenant Commander Dharmendra Singh Chauhan (30), who died dousing the flames, was hit by a jet of hot steam when he went into the smoke-filled room to fight the fire, which left him unconscious, sources said.

As soon as the fire was noticed in the fuel pipe, the fire-fighting crew immediately cut fuel supply, preventing any further damage. The sprinklers in the engine room were also automatically activated and the fire was brought under control. There were 1,300 men on board the carrier when the incident occurred, the sources added.

The fire broke out on Deck 3 of the vessel and damaged two compartments. The vessel has 21 decks and a thorough check has been ordered to prevent such incidents. Six of the nine injured Navy personnel who are being treated at Naval hospital in Karwar are said to be recovering.