Fears grow for missing sailors
A MAJOR rescue operation continues for 10 sailors missing after a US Navy destroyer collided with a tanker in the South China Sea.
Guided- missile destroyer USS John S. McCain collided with the merchant vessel Alnic MC east of Singapore near the Straits of Malacca at 6.24am local time ( 7.24am AEST) on Monday.
The ship was transiting to a routine port visit in Singapore when the incident occurred, the navy said.
“There are currently 10 sailors missing and five injured ... search and rescue efforts are under way in co- ordination with local authorities.
“Initial reports indicate John S. McCain sustained damage to her port side aft.”
An image shared on Twitter by Malaysia’s military showed a hole in the side of the Arleigh Burke- class vessel. Four of the injured seamen were evacuated by helicopter with non- lifethreatening injuries and the fifth did not require treatment.
The ship slowly made its way to Changi Naval Base.
“Significant damage to the hull resulted in flooding to nearby compartments, including crew berthing, machinery, and communications rooms.
“Damage control efforts by the crew halted further flooding.”
The John S. McCain is based at the 7th Fleet’s home port of Yokosuka, Japan.
It was commissioned in 1994 and has a crew of 23 officers, 24 chief petty officers and 291 enlisted sailors, according to the US Navy’s website.
The warship is 154m long. The Alnic MC is a 183m oil and chemical tanker.
Today’s accident comes after the USS Fitzgerald destroyer collided with a container ship in June, leaving seven navy sailors dead and causing serious damage.
Two commanders were stood down following an investigation.
Earlier this month, the John S. McCain was the source of tension between the US and China when it sailed near artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea.
It prompted the Chinese navy to warn off the destroyer, according to AFP reports about the August 11 incident.
“China is strongly dissatisfied with this,” foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang had said, adding that Beijing would lodge an official protest with Washington.
The USS John S. McCain destroyer sailed within six nautical miles of Mischief Reef – an artificial island built by China – as part of a “freedom of navigation” operation.