The US navy said that the Hartford, a Los Angeles-class submarine, and the New Orleans occurred at 1am local time off Manama, the capital of Bahrain which is home to the US Fifth Fleet. "Fifteen sailors aboard the Hartford were slightly injured and returned to duty. No personnel aboard New Orleans were injured," the navy said in a statement. The New Orleans's fuel tank ruptured, causing the spill of diesel fuel. Both ships are operating under their own power, and the overall damage to both vessels is being evaluated, the statement added. The Strait of Hormuz, which spans less than 60 miles at its widest point, separates Oman from Iran and is the gateway into the oil-rich Gulf. An estimated 40 per cent of the world's crude oil passes through the strait on the way to market. Both the submarine and the ship are on regularly scheduled deployments to the US Navy Central Command's area of responsibility, the navy said. Ships from the Fifth Fleet patrol a 7.5 million square mile area of eastern Africa, the Middle East and south-west Asia.US navy vessels collide in Strait of Hormuz
A US navy submarine and a US amphibious vessel collided in the Strait of Hormuz, injuring 15 sailors and creating a fuel spill of 25,000 gallons.
Friday, 20 March 2009
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