7 missing after US Navy destroyer collides with merchant vessel off Japan
June 17, 2017  09:55
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Seven crew members are reportedly missing and one injured after a United States Navy destroyer collided with a merchant ship off the coast of Japan, the country's coast guard reported.

The commanding officer of the ship, Cmdr. Bryce Benson, is among the injured according to a statement by the US Navy.

USS Fitzgerald suffered damage to its starboard side above and below the waterline in the incident. Benson was one of four injured sailors who needed to be flown to a naval hospital in Yokosuka, Japan, reports the CNN.

US Navy Chief of Naval Operations Adm John Richardson said four sailors were medevaced.

Other injured sailors are being assessed, the navy said.

The two ships collided in the Pacific Ocean about 56 nautical miles off the coast of Yokosuka. The damage to the Fitzgerald resulted in some flooding.

The vessel was taking on water after the incident, but the crew was working to stabilise the ship by pumping water out of the hold.

IMAGE: The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald, damaged by colliding with a Philippine-flagged merchant vessel, is seen off Shimoda, Japan. June 17, 2017. Photograph: Kyodo/via Reuters
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