Ten sailors were reported missing after a United States Navy ship collided with an oil tanker near Singapore on Monday. Five other sailors suffered non-life threatening injuries after the guided missile destroyer collided with the oil vessel in the Strait of Malacca, BBC reported.
The USS John McCain collided with the merchant vessel Alnic MC at 5.24 am as the ship was passing the entrance of the strait. The naval ship was damaged on the left side, US and Singaporean officials said.
US military helicopters, the Singaporean and Malaysian navies and coast guards are now conducting rescue operations. The ship, however, is on its way to Singapore’s Changi naval base.
The vessel carries the Aegis missile defence system, which is capable of countering a North Korean missile attack. After Monday’s collision, it will be out of action. This is the third Aegis ship to be involved in an accident this year.
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