Warship collision: US divers find human remains

The accident off Singapore, which left a gaping gash in the destroyer’s hull, was the second deadly collision in two months involving an American warship. 

The US Navy has announced a fleet-wide global investigation after the accident involving the USS John S McCain and the merchant vessel on Monday. But Admiral Scott Swift, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, praised the surviving crew for saving the ship and saving lives. 

The accident, which also left five sailors injured, happened before dawn in busy shipping lanes around the Strait of Singapore, and sent water flooding into the ship. A massive search involving planes and aircraft was launched and US Navy divers joined the hunt on Tuesday, searching the ship’s flooded compartments. 

Speaking in Singapore, Swift said that, “The divers were able to locate some remains in those sealed compartments during their search on Tuesday.” He said bodies were found during “the diving on McCain today but it’s premature to say how many and what the status of recovery those bodies are”. Swift said Malaysian authorities had also found a body and were sending it to the US Navy for identification. 

He said the search and rescue effort, involving hundreds of personnel and several countries, would continue, adding, “We’re always hopeful that there are survivors.”