MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th July, 2020) At least 18 US Navy sailors have been transported to hospital with minor injuries after a fire broke out aboard a vessel stationed at a naval base in the city of San Diego, California, the Naval Surface Forces, US Pacific Fleet said on Sunday.
"The fire was called away at approx. 8:30 AM [15:30 GMT], July 12. Approx. 160 Sailors were aboard at the time. @LHD6BHR [USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6)] is going through a maintenance availability and has a crew size of approx. 1000. 18 Sailors have been transferred to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries," the naval fleet said in a Tweet.
All crew members have safely evacuated the vessel and all are accounted for, the naval fleet said in an earlier Tweet.
According to images circulated online, several fireboats were deployed to extinguish the flames, which was concentrated in the center portion of the vessel. An explosion was also heard on board the ship prior to the blaze, according to domestic media reports.
The USS Bonhomme Richard was commissioned in 1998 and spent six years in Japan as part of the US Navy's Forward Deployed Naval Force in the region.
