10 Missing After US Destroyer Collides with Tanker

Ten American sailors are reported missing and five injured after the U.S. Navy destroyer USS John S. McCain collided with a merchant ship east of Singapore, near the Strait of Malacca.

The U.S. 7th Fleet released a statement early Monday that the guided-missile destroyer collided with the Liberian-flagged tanker Alnic MC at about 6:20 a.m. local time. It was headed to Singapore for a routine port visit. 

The McCain was damaged, the statement said. But it was heading to port on its own power. 

The U.S. 7th Fleet said it is undertaking search-and-rescue efforts alongside local authorities.  Malaysia also sent two naval ships to join the search efforts.

President Donald Trump and Sen. John McCain both tweeted they were praying for the sailors aboard the naval vessel.  The ship is named for McCain’s father and grandfather, who were both admirals. 

It is the second collision involving a ship from the Navy’s 7th Fleet in the Pacific in two months. Seven sailors died in June when the USS Fitzgerald and a container ship hit each other in waters off Japan.

 

The Fitzgerald’s captain was relieved of command and other sailors are to be punished after the Navy found poor seamanship and flaws in keeping watch contributed to the collision, the Navy said last week. 

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