Chief engineering mechanic Ashu Singh died following an incident of steam leak and minor fire in one of INS Viraat’s boiler room late on Sunday afternoon. The ship was on a routine deployment to Goa. While the incident was quickly brought under control, four sailors who were present at the scene and combating the fire sustained injury from the smoke. However, Singh was critical having suffered smoke inhalation. He was shifted to the naval hospital at Goa where he suffered a cardiac arrest and succumbed to his injury. The other three are under treatment and out of danger.
Prima facie, some insulating material in the boiler room appears to have caught fire from heat due to steam leak. Investigations are on. INS Viraat is expected to sail back to Mumbai soon.
