AP via Australia’s
Government owned ABC News reports
July 13, 2020,
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-13/us-naval-ship-fire-leaves-21-injured-uss-bonhomme-richard/12448428 :
No Bonfire!
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-13/us-naval-ship-fire-leaves-21-injured-uss-bonhomme-richard/12448428 :
“Fire on US naval ship USS Bonhomme Richard [LHD-6] docked at San Diego port leaves 21 injured”
"An explosion and fire on board a ship at a naval
base in the United States have injured 21 people.
Key points:
- The cause of the fire is still under investigation
- The ship was undergoing routine maintenance at the time
- About 160 sailors were on board.
- The ship was undergoing routine maintenance at the time
- About 160 sailors were on board.
The blaze at Naval Base San Diego in California was
reported shortly before 9am on July 12, 2020 (California time/date) on USS Bonhomme
Richard, US Navy spokesman Mike Raney said.
Seventeen sailors and four civilians were taken to
hospital with "non-life threatening injuries", Mr Raney said in a
brief statement.
Officials earlier said at least one person was
treated for smoke inhalation.
The cause of the fire was under investigation and
it was not immediately known where on the 255-metre amphibious assault vessel
the blast and fire occurred.
The flames sent up a huge plume of dark smoke,
visible around San Diego.
San Diego is the Bonhomme Richard's home port and
it was undergoing routine maintenance at the time of the fire.
About 160 sailors and officers were on board, Mr
Raney said — far fewer than the thousand typically on the ship when on active
duty.
...Two other docked ships, USS Fitzgerald and [destroyer] USS Russell, were moved to berths away from the fire, Mr Raney said."
[Pete Comment: USS Fitzgerald was one of the two US destroyers involved in major collisions in 2017.]
[Pete Comment: USS Fitzgerald was one of the two US destroyers involved in major collisions in 2017.]
Firefighting boats spray water onto the
US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard. (Above photo courtesy Reuters: Bing Guan).
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No Bonfire!
Not sure it was a welding accident. The fire happened deep in the well deck, in space usually used for USMC storage.
ReplyDeleteShe's probably a total constructive loss - live video a couple hours ago (from when I'm posting this) showed the superstructure on fire and her mast melted.
Sad end to a naval warrior. :(