A sailor has died aboard a Royal Navy frigate travelling to the Far East as part of the carrier strike group.
An investigation is under way into the death of the crew member on Saturday on HMS Kent, a Type 23 frigate.
No details about the sailor have been released.
HMS Kent was travelling to the South China Sea as part of the maiden voyage of Britain’s largest aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, which left Portsmouth in May.
The Daily Telegraph reported that “defence sources” have said that the death is suspected to have been a suicide, but this has not been confirmed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
An MoD spokeswoman said: “An investigation is under way and it would be inappropriate to comment any further while that is ongoing.”
The sailor’s next of kin had been informed and the family have requested privacy, she added.
“It is with deep sadness that the Ministry of Defence can confirm that a Royal Navy sailor from HMS Kent died on July 10 2021,” the spokeswoman also said.
“The Ministry of Defence offers its condolences to the individual’s family and friends.
“The ship’s company of HMS Kent are in our thoughts during this difficult time.”
It is understood the death will not affect the deployment of the carrier strike group.
Portsmouth-based HMS Kent is currently deployed along with HMS Queen Elizabeth as part of the carrier strike group which has been travelling through the Mediterranean before heading to the Indo-Pacific region.
Part of the carrier group accompanying HMS Queen Elizabeth includes a US destroyer, two British warships, and two Royal Navy support vessels.
The ships are planned to sail around the Arabian Peninsula, across the Arabian Sea, before heading to Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. Its final stops will be in Japan and South Korea.
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If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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