Ten sailors missing in U.S. ship collision

In this Jan. 22, 2017, photo provided by U.S. Navy, the USS John S. McCain conducts a patrol in the South China Sea while supporting security efforts in the region. The guided-missile destroyer collided with a merchant ship on Monday, Aug. 21, in waters east of Singapore and the Straits of Malacca.
In this Jan. 22, 2017, photo provided by U.S. Navy, the USS John S. McCain conducts a patrol in the South China Sea while supporting security efforts in the region. The guided-missile destroyer collided with a merchant ship on Monday, Aug. 21, in waters east of Singapore and the Straits of Malacca.

SINGAPORE-A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer collided with a tanker early today in waters east of Singapore and the Straits of Malacca, and at least 10 sailors are missing.

The Navy said five others were hurt and that search and rescue efforts  are ongoing.

The USS John S. McCain sustained damage on its port side aft, or left rear, from the collision with the Alnic MC that happened at 5:24 a.m., the Navy's 7th Fleet said.

It is the second collision involving a ship from the Navy's 7th Fleet in the Pacific in two months. Seven sailors died in June when the USS Fitzgerald and a container ship hit each other in waters off Japan.

The Japan-based 7th Fleet said the McCain was heading to Singapore for a routine port visit.

The ship is based at the fleet's homeport of Yokosuka, Japan. It was commissioned in 1994 and has a crew of 23 officers, 24 chief petty officers and 291 enlisted sailors.

The Alnic MC is a 600-foot oil and chemical tanker.

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