Seven U.S. sailors are missing from the USS Fitzgerald after the ship collided with a Philippine-flagged merchant vessel ACX Crystal while operating off the coast of Japan, Fox News confirmed.
The Fitzgerald’s Commanding Officer is among the four sailors who were injured and flown off the ship.
The ship was under its own power but had limited propulsion, according to the U.S. Navy. The incident happened 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan.
The ship suffered damage on her starboard side above and below the waterline. The collision resulted in some flooding.
Live footage shot from a helicopter Saturday morning by Japanese broadcaster NHK showed heavy damage to the mid-right side of the Navy ship, which appeared to be stationary in the water.
People were standing on various parts of the deck.
The collision occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time on June 17.
“There is no danger of the ship sinking,” one official told Fox News.
The incident will be investigated.
Fitzgerald, a guided-missile destroyer, carries Tomahawk cruise missiles and missiles capable of shooting down ballistic missiles, part of the regions ballistic missile defense program.
