Seven sailors of the American destroyer died after a collision with the Filipino merchant ship

As a result of a collision of the destroyer of the seventh American Fleet Fitzgerald with the Philippine merchant Crystal, seven US sailors died off the coast of Japan. It is reported by Reuters with reference to the Japanese media.

According to the fleet commander Vice Admiral Joseph Okain, the bodies of the dead were discovered in the flooded compartments of the ship. Meanwhile, the number of victims did not specify.

Three sailors, including the commander of the destroyer Bryce Benson, were delivered with injuries to the American military hospital in Yokosuk, the southern suburbs of Tokyo.

There are no victims in the team of the Philippine ship.

The incident occurred on Saturday night in the Pacific Ocean, about 56 sea miles (104 kilometers) southeast of Yokosuki. According to American military sailors, the clash happened at 2:30 local time (20:30 Friday MSC), according to the Japanese coast guard - at 1:30. Crystal, which was captured by the Japanese company Nippon Yusen and was driving 1080 containers from Nagi in Tokyo, collided with Fitzgerald. The American ship received two holes below the waterline; The radio room was flooded and the auxiliary machine.

The circumstances of the incident are reported, unclear. They will be established by the investigation.

The Fitzgerald team had 285 sailors; Most of them slept during the incident. On board Crystal were 20 people, all the citizens of the Philippines.

Fitzgerald was delivered to the port of Yokosuki on Saturday evening. As Okain said, the ship caused significant damage. The destroyer is subject to restoration, but it will take months. “We hope that less than a year,” said Vice Admiral.