7 missing after US Navy destroyer crashes into trade ship off Japan coast
Seven US Navy crew members are missing after their ship collided with a merchant vessel off the coast of Japan.
The Japanese coastguard said the Fitzgerald was experiencing some flooding but was not in danger of sinking, while the merchant vessel was able to sail under its own power.
The incident took place at about 2:30 am local time 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan, and involved the USS Fitzgerald guided-missile destroyer, the US Navy said Friday.
“USS Fitzgerald involved in a collision with Philippine-flagged merchant vessel ACX Crystal. Japanese Coast Guard is on scene,” the Navy’s 7th Fleet said in a tweet.
The Japanese Coast Guard identified the commercial ship as a Philippine container vessel, Sputnik news agency reported.
JAPAN: US Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with a merchant ship off the coast of Japan. Injuries and damage being reported. VIDEO: pic.twitter.com/OLTLsVQr8E
— KolHaolam (@KolHaolam) June 16, 2017
The ship’s Commander Bryce Benson was taken to the US Naval Hospital in Yokosuka and was in stable condition, the US 7th Fleet said in a statement.
“Two sailors, in addition to the commanding officer, have been medically evacuated from USS Fitzgerald to US Naval Hospital Yokosuka for lacerations and bruises,” it added.
A US Defense Department official told CNN that the warship was not under her own power and Japanese tugs were underway to tow it back to its base. Another official said the damage was “significant.”
Unofficial reports stated that water had made its way into three compartments of the vessel.
