The American destroyer John McCain collided in the Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia with the Singaporean merchant vessel Alnic MC. As a result, ten sailors were lost, five wounded. The US president called the incident "very bad".

About the incident that occurred early in the morning by Japanese time, reported the command of the 7th Navy of the US Navy. It is known that the destroyer, which was going to the port of Singapore, was damaged in the stern. Nevertheless, he remained afloat and moved to the harbor on his own.

"The amount of damage caused and the severity of injury to crew members are assessed. As for the incident, an investigation will be conducted, "the report says..

In the strait, a search and rescue operation is currently underway. Missing people are looking for ships and helicopters of the units of Singapore, the Malaysian Air Force and the Maritime Administration of the country, as well as ships of the US Navy.

According to Admiral John Richardson, the naval chief of the US Navy, the current priority of the fleet is to do everything to ensure that the ship and crew are completely safe.

The merchant ship that the destroyer encountered, according to media reports, was an oil tanker. It carried almost 12 thousand. Tons of oil products and received a hole in the bow at seven meters above the waterline. In a statement by the marine and port administration of Singapore, it is noted that none of the members of the Alnic MC team suffered. There were no reports of a spill of oil products.

On the accident with the participation of his "namesake" reacted to Twitter, US Senator John McCain. "My wife Cindy and I pray for the American sailors of the ship" John McCain "and are grateful to the search and rescue crews for their work," wrote the politician.

The incident alarmed the US president. "This is very bad," Donald Trump told reporters when he learned of the accident in the Malacca Strait. "Thoughts and prayers with our sailors aboard the USS John McCain, where the search and rescue operation is taking place," he wrote later in his Twitter microblog..

The destroyer John McCain received his name in honor of the grandfather and father of US Senator John McCain Sr. and John McCain, Jr., who served as admirals to the US Navy during the Second World War. The ship launched in 1992. , Is a class destroyer "Arly Burke", which are produced since 1988. The crew of the ship with a displacement of 6630 tons is 337 people. The ship has two Aegis launchers, artillery, anti-ship and other weapons.

The incident with the American warship was not the first such case in recent months. In June, another destroyer of the US Navy, Fitzgerald, collided off the coast of Japan with a Philippine container ship. The American vessel received a hole below the waterline and was partially flooded. As a result of the incident, seven sailors were killed.

The crew of the destroyer was found guilty of the tragedy, who committed a number of fatal errors. First, the ship significantly exceeded the permitted speed. Secondly, the crew did not recognize the approach of another vessel and did not take the necessary actions to avoid collision. As a result, the naval command dismissed the commander of the ship Bryce Benson and two senior officers. Another nine sailors will be subject to disciplinary action. Dead crew members decided to posthumously submit to new titles.