The U.S. Navy says seven U.S. sailors are missing after one of its destroyers collided with a merchant vessel early Saturday off the coast of Japan.

The Navy said in a statement: “There are seven sailors unaccounted for; the ship and the Japanese Coast Guard continues to search for them.”

The Navy said two crewmembers in addition to commanding officer Bryce Benson were injured. The three of them “have been medically evacuated from USS Fitzgerald to U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka for treatment.” The commander is said to be in stable condition, while the crewmembers are being treated for lacerations and bruises, the Navy said.

No one on the Philippine-flagged container ship was reported injured.

The collision between the U.S. destroyer and the merchant vessel ACX Crystal happened about 2:30 a.m. local time about 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan, according to the Navy’s 7th Fleet, which operates in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean.

Watch: US Navy Destroyer Collides With Merchant Vessel off Japan Coast, Some Injuries

Live footage shot from a helicopter Saturday morning by Japanese broadcaster NHK showed heavy damage to the right, or starboard side, of the Navy ship, just ahead of the control tower. The container ship suffered minimal damage.

The Navy said the destroyer had “experienced flooding in some spaces.” It said the Japanese Coast Guard is on the scene and providing assistance.

“The USS Fitzgerald is under her own power, although her propulsion is limited,” the Navy said.

The Philippine ship is 29,060 tons and is 222 meters long, while the 8,315-ton Navy destroyer is 154 meters long.

Such collisions between two ships are rare. It was not immediately clear what caused the two large vessels to collide.

VOA national security correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this report.
…