Over two dozen people, including sailors and civilians, had been hospitalized and treated for non-life-threatening injuries after an explosion aboard a naval vessel on Sunday.
The incident occurred at Naval Base San Diego where USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) was engulfed in flames following an explosion aboard the ship during routine maintenance.
According to the reports, four civilians and seventeen sailors sustained minor injuries as a result of the explosion and the massive fire could ravage the vessel for days according to the firefighters.
“Today, we suffered a terrible tragedy aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) when a fire broke out aboard the ship while in port San Diego,” the U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations confirmed in a Twitter statement.
“At this point, 17 Sailors and four civilians are being treated for non-life threatening injuries at a local hospital.”
In a thread, the CNO added: “The remainder of the crew is accounted for. We are grateful for the quick and immediate response of local, base, and shipboard firefighters aboard BHR. Our thoughts and prayers are with our BHR Sailors, their families, and our emergency responders who continue to fight the fire.”
According to the reports, some 160 sailors were on the giant vessel when the fire started.
As San Diego Fire Chief Colin Stowell warned in an interview with CNN, the fire has the potential to burn for days all the way “down to the waterline.”
As of this writing, the firefighters are still battling the blaze. It is not yet clear what caused the explosion aboard the vessel.
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