A naval officer was killed in fire fighting efforts on board aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya on Friday.

The fire was reported Friday morning when the ship was entering the harbour in Karwar in Karnataka.

The fire was brought under control by the ship's crew in a swift action, preventing any serious damage to the carrier's combat capability, an official said.

Lt Cdr DS Chauhan bravely led the fire fighting efforts in the affected compartment and while the fire was brought under control, the officer suffered a loss of consciousness owing to smoke and fumes, the Navy said.

He was immediately evacuated to a naval hospital at Karwar for medical attention. However, the officer could not be revived.

A Board of Inquiry to investigate the circumstances of the incident has been ordered.