A minor fire broke out on-board aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya on Saturday. The crew on duty noticed smoke emanating from a part of the ship meant for sailors and acted promptly to douse it. No major damage was done, informed by commander Mehul Karnik, the chief public relations officer of the Indian Navy. The ship is at Karwar Harbour in Karnataka. An inquiry into the incident is being ordered.
This is the second incident of fire on INS Vikramaditya. Earlier, in April 2019, a naval officer of the rank of Lt Commander died during a firefighting operation on the aircraft carrier when it was entering the Karwar Harbour.
The warship is a modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier purchased by India from Russia in 2013 and was renamed in honour of Vikramaditya, the legendary emperor. Originally built as Baku and commissioned in 1987, the carrier served with the Soviet (until the dissolution of the Soviet Union) and Russian Navies before being decommissioned in 1996, it being too expensive to operate.
The aircraft carrier completed sea trials in July 2013 and aviation trials in September 2013. On June 14, 2014, INS Vikramaditya was inducted into the Indian Navy.
INS Vikramaditya, a floating airfield, has an overall length of 284 metres and a maximum beam of 60 metres, stretching as much as three football fields put together. Standing about 20 storeys tall from the keel to the highest point, the ship has a total of 22 decks and carries around 1,600 personnel.
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