Two sailors injured in fire aboard US warship near Japan

A fire broke out on board the USS New Orleans, an American amphibious assault ship, off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, burning for more than 12 hours and injuring two sailors.

US media reported that the incident occurred around 4:00 p.m. local time on August 20 while the warship was anchored near the White Beach naval base on Okinawa’s east coast, a key hub for staging US Marines and their equipment before deployment on amphibious operations.

The USS New Orleans, an amphibious transport dock with a crew of over 360 sailors and the capacity to carry more than 800 troops, is 684 feet long and has a displacement of 24,000 tons.

According to the Japan Coast Guard, which assisted in the firefighting effort, the blaze was fully extinguished after 9:00 a.m. on August 21, and an investigation is underway to determine its cause. The two sailors sustained minor injuries and received treatment aboard the ship.

The firefighting effort involved not only the USS New Orleans’ crew but also sailors from another US Navy amphibious ship, the USS San Diego, anchored at White Beach.

Significant support was also provided by the Japan Coast Guard, the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force, and additional US Navy units stationed in Okinawa.

By Tamilla Hasanova