(SINGAPORE) — The U.S. Navy on Monday said it has recovered the remains of all 10 sailors killed after USS John S. McCain collided with a tanker near Singapore, Reuters reported.
The guided-missile destroyer collided with Alnic MC east of Singapore on Aug. 21 while approaching the port on a routine visit. Search and rescue operations were suspended on Thursday after the Navy found and identified the remains of one sailor. The remains of the other missing sailors were found inside sealed sections of the damaged hull of the warship, which is moored at Singapore’s Changi Naval Base.
Aircraft, divers and vessels from Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the United States joined a search operation for the missing sailors over an area of about 2,124 square miles around the accident site.
The pre-dawn collision, the fourth major accident for the U.S. Pacific fleet this year, has prompted a review of its operations. “The incident is under investigation to determine the facts and circumstances,” the 7th Fleet announced in a statement on its website.
The Navy has removed 7th Fleet commander Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin from his post, citing “a loss of confidence in his ability to command” after the run of accidents.
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