(UDHAYAM, COLOMBO) – Seven United States (US) Navy crew members are missing after their ship collided with a merchant vessel off the Coast of Japan.
Among the injured is the ship’s commanding officer who has been taken to hospital by helicopter.
The Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with the container ship ACX Crystal about 56 nautical miles (103km) South-West of Yokosuka at about 2:30 AM local time (18:30 BST) on Saturday (17).
Aerial images showed heavy damage on the destroyer’s starboard side.
As well as the commanding officer, two other sailors were flown to hospital by helicopter for treatments for “lacerations and bruises”, said the US 7th Fleet via Twitter.
It said earlier that the USS Fitzgerald had experienced flooding in some areas, and the full extent of injuries was being determined.
It also said the 154m ship was now on its way to Yokosuka – under its own power, but with limited propulsion.
Courtesy: BBC
