10 sailors missing in U.S guided-missile destroyer’s accident

At least 10 sailors have been declared missing when American guided-missile destroyer, USS John S. McCain, collided with a merchant vessel on Monday.

A search and rescue mission is underway, the Navy says.

“The guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) was involved in a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while underway east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore,” the Navy said in a statement.

Ten sailors are missing and another five are injured.

The collision was reported at 6:24 a.m. local time, on a routine visit to a Singapore port. “The ship is sailing under its own power and heading to port,” the statement reads.

Early investigation shows the destroyer “sustained damage to her port side aft,” the Navy adds. It’s unclear whether the Alnic MC, an oil and chemical tanker, or its crew were affected by the crash.

The Navy said USS America aircraft were assisting, in addition to the Singaporean tugboats and naval and coast guard vessels in the area.

It’s the second accident involving a Navy ship and a cargo ship in recent months.

A destroyer collision in June killed seven sailors.

After an investigation into the incident, the Navy relieved two of the ship’s senior leaders last week due to inadequate leadership, while commending the crew.