The remains of the missing sailors were found in the sealed compartments of the American destroyer John S Mccain on Tuesday, reported by CNN. It collided with a merchant's vessel just east of Singapore on Monday morning.
Helicopters, patrol ships, and boats from the US, Singapore, and Malaysia were searching for the missing in rough sea conditions because of huge waves.The Malaysian navy found a body in the sea, and the US Navy was trying to find whether it is one of the US sailors.
New details of the incident
The destroyer USS John S McCain had “sustained damage to her port side aft,” ABC news reported.
The US destroyer had returned to Changi Naval Base in Singapore. Five people had been injured and ten missing. Four injured people were taken to the Singapore hospital, and their condition is stable. The fifth injured does not require any medical help and feels good.
The ballistic missile defense ship is named in honor of retired naval pilot and current U.S. Senator John McCain and his family's history in the U.S. Navy. It received a huge damage during the collision, and its staff rooms, computer room, and communication lines were quickly flooded with water. The McCain’s Facebook page has photos of the crew fishing and playing board games some hours before the accident.
The authorities' reaction
Scott Swift, the head of the Pacific Command of the US Navy, said that the Navy will require the experts' assessment. Admiral John Richardson ordered to hold a "comprehensive review" of the recent US Navy collision and three previous collisions which happened earlier this year to determine any of the causal factors.
He also said that "this is the second collision in three months and is the last in a series of incidents in the Pacific theater.”
The authorities doubt in the Navy's training quality and can change the leaders in it. CNN military analyst Rick Francona noted that "The Navy is not looking good about now." Young officers are usually on duty at a night time on Navy ships like the McCain, as a senior Navy officer reported.
President Donald Trump said that his “thoughts and prayers” were with the sailors got in the incident that day. Two months ago, a Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with a container ship near Japan. As a result, seven seamen died. Later, the Navy reported the errors which led to the USS Fitzgerald collision. Now the destroyer is being repaired and is planned to return to its military service.