Explosion, fire on board Navy ship injure 21
SAN DIEGO — A fire and an explosion onboard the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard injured 17 sailors and four civilians Sunday, and multiple agencies battled the blaze throughout the day.
A spokesman for Navy Region Southwest said the cause of the blaze and the extent of damage were not known as of Sunday afternoon. People at the scene reported hearing an explosion.
The 17 sailors and four civilians were sent to a hospital with nonlife threatening injuries, Naval Surface Forces in San Diego said.
According to the Navy, 160 sailors were aboard the ship Sunday morning. All sailors were evacuated and accounted for, the Navy said. In total, about 1,000 sailors are assigned to the 840foot ship, according to a Naval Surface Forces spokesman.
Fumes and smoke billowed from the ship for hours Sunday. At least a dozen fire engines and trucks were seen near the pier with at least six ambulances staged inside. Many people gathered on a pedestrian bridge near the scene.
The city of National City issued an advisory Sunday afternoon urging residents to stay indoors due to potential health impacts of the smoke plume.
The fire was reported shortly after 8:50 a.m., according to San Diego FireRescue officials. The department said on Twitter that 150 firefighters were assigned to the blaze. A fire investigator also was dispatched.
On CNN, San Diego Fire Chief Colin Stowell said the ship could burn for days.
Two other ships, guidedmissile destroyers Fitzgerald and Russell, were moored near the Bonhomme Richard but were moved to berths farther away from the burning vessel, Raney said in a statement.
The ship was in drydock at General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego last year and has been undergoing further maintenance at Naval Base San Diego. Amphibious assault ships are used to deploy Marines in amphibious landings. During operations, the ships conduct flight operations with helicopters and jet aircraft, such as the AV8B Harrier and its replacement, the F35 B Lightning.