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The
U.S. Navy warship USS John McCain, an Arleigh-Burke class destroyer
20
August, 2017
The
USS John McCain collided with a merchant ship early August 21 near
Singapore and the Strait of Malacca.
The
US guided-missile destroyer crashed into the merchant vessel
Alnic MC while underway east of Singapore and the Strait
of Malacca in the South China Sea, the US Navy 7th Fleet
reports.
The
incident occurred at 6:24 a.m. local time as the ship was
on its way to make a routine visit in Singapore. Early
reports hold that the McCain has been damaged on its port side
aft, and the latest US Navy update says the ship is sailing under her
own power and is on her way to port.
A
search and rescue operation has been launched, combining the efforts
of the Singapore Navy and US ships in the area. The
Singapore Navy ship RSS Gallant, RSN helicopters and Police Coast
Guard vessel Basking Shark are currently in the area to render
assistance, the 7th fleet reports, and Osprey aircraft and Seahawk
SH-60 helicopters from the amphibious assault ship USS America
are also responding.
The
incident will be investigated, the Navy has said.
The
USS John McCain is an Arleigh-Burke class destroyer belonging to the
US Navy's 7th Fleet, and is home ported at the US Navy base
in Yokosuka, Japan. The Alnic MC is described as a
Liberian-flagged, 30,000 ton, 183-meter oil and chemical tanker
by the Marine Traffic website. It appears to have been
on its way to Singapore from Pyeongtaek port in South
Korea.
"Our
first priority is determining the safety of the ship and crew,"
Admiral John Richardson, chief of naval operations for the
US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a Twitter statement.
Cindy & I are keeping America's sailors aboard the USS John S McCain in our prayers tonight - appreciate the work of search & rescue crews
This
accident comes only weeks after the June 17 collision of the
USS Fitzgerald with the ACX Crystal container ship, in which
seven of the Fitzgerald crew were killed and several others
injured. A high
level staff shakeup followed
the crash.
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