Crew saved USS Fitzgerald after collision

tokio - The US Navy ship USS Fitzgerald could sink after collision with a container ship. The collision resulted in a tear in the hull of the war underneath the water line, said Vice-Admiral Joseph Aucoin on Sunday.

According to Aucoin, the vessel could walk full of water or collapse after the collision. It is thanks to the crew's prompt performance that the ship has been saved. The deputy admiral said that the repair would probably take several months.

The USS Fitzgerald arrived in Japan at night with a Filipino container ship. Many American crew members then lay asleep. Research has to show how a massive cargo ship could collide with the war in clear weather.

Since the accident, seven crew members are missing. According to Japanese media, they were all found dead but Aucoin did not want to confirm that. The battered USS Fitzgerald entered the port on Saturday, said a naval spokesman in Yokosuka.