WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military said on Sunday that a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer collided with a merchant ship near Singapore early Monday local time, with initial reports saying the ship's port side aft sustained damage.
According to a statement by U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet, the guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain collided with a merchant vessel while underway east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore at 6:24 a.m. local time (2224 GMT on Sunday).
The statement said search and rescue efforts are underway in coordination with local authorities.
USS John S. McCain was the second U.S. destroyer involved in a collision in the past two months. The USS Fitzgerald collided with a ship off the coast of Japan in mid-June, resulting in the deaths of seven U.S. sailors.
