The US Navy announced the loss of 10 destroyers of the USS John S. McCain and injured five others when the US destroyer hit a tanker east of Singapore.
The US Navy confirmed in a statement that "10 sailors were lost and five others injured" following the collision between the rocket launcher and the tanker Alnick MC during their voyage at dawn on Monday east of the straits of Malaga and Singapore.
The Navy said in a previous statement that "preliminary reports indicate that" US John S. McCain "was damaged in the left side of the back. The Navy also noted that search and rescue operations are underway in coordination with local authorities.
The incident was reported at around 9:30 pm (UTC) when the destroyer was on its way to the port of Singapore for a routine visit.
The incident came two months after a similar collision occurred on June 17 off the coast of Japan between the USS Fitzgerald and a Philippine flag carrier, which killed seven US sailors and caused serious damage.