Tokyo [Japan], August 22: A US Navy warship remained ablaze for nearly 12 hours while anchored off Japan's Okinawa, with two sailors sustaining minor injuries during the incident, CNN reported, citing the US Navy's 7th Fleet in Japan.
The fire started on board USS New Orleans, an amphibious transport dock ship weighing 25,000 tons, around 4 pm local time on Wednesday. It was brought under control only by early Thursday morning, as per NHK.
The cause of the fire is under investigation as per the Navy's statement.
Japanese broadcaster NHK also showed tugboats spraying water at the vessel while firefighting crews from both US and Japanese sides worked through the night.
"A fire has broken out on a US vessel off the coast of White Beach. The crew is currently engaged in firefighting efforts, but we have requested the Japan Coast Guard to provide firefighting assistance," a Coast Guard official said, as per NHK.
The USS New Orleans, which carries more than 360 sailors and has the capacity to transport 800 Marines, was anchored off the White Beach Naval Facility at the time of the incident. The Navy confirmed that two sailors were treated for minor injuries in the ship's medical bay, as CNN reported.
According to CNN, firefighting teams from another American ship, USS San Diego, as well as the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force and other US Navy units based in Okinawa, joined the effort. The Navy said these reinforcements "provided critical support to the firefighting efforts."
The White Beach facility is a key hub for deploying US Marines and equipment aboard amphibious ships such as the New Orleans, which measures 684 feet in length, as per CNN.
Source: Times of Oman
