The bodies of sailors missing after the US Navy destroyer, USS Fitzgerald collided with a Philippine merchant ship off the coast of Japan, have been found, according to reports.
“As search and rescue crews gained access to the spaces that were damaged during the collision, the missing sailors were found in the flooded berthing compartments,” it was mentioned in the Navy’s press release. It further mentioned, that they are being taken to the Naval Hospital in Yokosuka where they will be identified.
However, the exact number of bodies found has not been disclosed.
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The names of the sailors will be released after all notifications are made.
The USS Fitzgerald collided with a container ship off the coast of Japan early Saturday morning. The Fitzgerald was operating about 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan, when it hit the container ship at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time.
Initially, five sailors were reported injured and seven were reported missing.
Four sailors and the ship’s commanding officer were medically evacuated by a Japanese coast guard helicopter, post the mishap. The 7th Fleet has since confirmed the sailors are in stable condition and are being treated at the Naval Hospital, Yokosuka.