US Navy destroyer collides with container ship near Japan, suffers damage

TOKYO - A U.S. Navy destroyer, the USS Fitzgerald, collided with a container ship off the coast of Japan early Saturday morning, causing significant damage and flooding.

Local broadcaster NHK reported that seven sailors were missing, while the U.S. Navy said one sailor was being medically evacuated.

The Fitzgerald was 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, the home of the U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet, when it collided with a loaded container ship at about 2:30 a.m. local time, the Navy said.

NHK showed footage of the Philippine-flagged container ship named the ACX Crystal with minor damage to its bow.

The vessel is roughly 700 feet long and was bound for Tokyo before colliding with the Fitzgerald, according to a maritime traffic tracking website.

But the Fitzgerald, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer that is more than 500 feet in length, appeared to have significant damage both above and below the waterline.

'The collision resulted in some flooding,” the Seventh Fleet said. 'The full extent of damage is being determined.”

The Japanese Coast Guard medically evacuated one sailor by helicopter after the incident. Two Japanese Coast Guard cutters were also responding, and other U.S. Navy vessels, including a tug, were heading to the scene.

The Fitzgerald is operating under its own power, although its propulsion is limited, the Seventh Fleet said.

At full strength, the Fitzgerald usually has more than 250 crew aboard and can reach speeds well over 30 miles per hour. It is unclear how fast it was going when it collided with the merchant ship.