MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th July, 2020) Firefighters are still trying to extinguish the fire aboard amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard, which is stationed at the US Naval Base in the US city of San Diego, the US Navy said on Monday.
"As of 2:00 a.m. [09:00 GMT] defensive operations continue on board USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6)," the statement said.
According to the statement, two helicopters have also been engaged to help the firefighters.
San Diego Fire Chief Colin Stowell told CNN's Erica Hill on Sunday afternoon that USS Bonhomme Richard could continue to burn for days, "down to the water line." According to Stowell, there was an explosion on the warship as the personnel was being evacuated.
According to the navy's statement, the explosion occurred because of rising temperatures and pressure caused by the fire, but the exact cause of the explosion remains unknown. The fire started at around 8:30 a.m. local time (15:30 GMT) on Sunday.
There were a total of 160 sailors aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard, which was going through a routine maintenance cycle when the fire started. The ship's total crew size is around 1,000. The Naval Surface Forces said that all sailors present onboard on Sunday have been evacuated and are accounted for.
