Be it the surgical strike in Uri or evacuation of our citizens during earthquakes and natural calamities, the army personnel never shy away from laying their lives and make the biggest sacrifice while fulfilling their duty towards the nation.
Yet again, one such dedicated naval officer, laid down his life while courageously leading the firefighting efforts onboard aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
Heartbreaking. Karana, wife of Lt Cdr Dharmendra Singh Chauhan who died fighting a fire on board INS Vikramaditya, and his mother bid his remains farewell at their home in Ratlam, MP. pic.twitter.com/jPMRWixAZw
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) April 28, 2019
Fire Caused Due To Glitch On Warship Killed DS Chauhan
The incident occurred when the biggest and the most expensive warship of India was entering into its home port of Karwar harbor in Karnataka. Incidentally, it was the second glitch on the warship since 2012 when during one of the high-speed sea trials, seven out of the eight boilers stopped working due to faulty insulation.
On the insistence of the Indian Navy, the Russian shipyard corrected the fault that enabled the ship to run on its top speed of 32 knots.
However, the second glitch due to which the fire broke out in the compartments of INS Vikramaditya, killed the 30-year-old DS Chauhan who lost consciousness while controlling the fire due to thick smoke.
According to a senior Navy official, the fire could have made a disastrous impact on the 44,500-ton warship as well as its crew. The official further added, “Chauhan put himself in harm’s way fully knowing it could prove fatal for him. Officers and men like him make our navy what it is… always mission ready.”
Chauhan Got Married Just A Month Ago
Chauhan died after he could not be revived following the swift evacuation to the INHS Patanjali naval Hospital in Karwar. The naval officer from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh got married just a month ago and was a specialist in biological, nuclear, and chemical defense including firefighting and damage control.
When the body of the Lieutenant Commander reached his native place in Ratlam, the sight around was heart-wrenching with his mother and wife bidding their tearful adieu to Chauhan.
No doubt the concerned officials will investigate the matter and try to stop the occurrence of such incidences in the future. But the likes of Pulwama attack and fire on INS Vikramaditya is a pointer to the fact that more precautions should be taken so that India does not lose its brave soldiers in this way.
