The USS Bonhomme Richard has caught fire at a naval base in San Diego. Footage from the scene shows a large plume of smoke emitting from under the ship’s deck; one explosion and injuries among the crew have been confirmed.
The vessel, used as an amphibious assault craft and helicopter dock, caught fire on Sunday.
Several sailors of the vessel, used as an amphibious assault craft and helicopter dock, have been treated for a “variety of injuries,” according to local emergency services. The fire triggered a massive response, with multiple fire engines and ambulances seen at the pier.
DEVELOPING:The USS Bonhomme Richard has caught fire at a naval base in San Diego. Footage from the scene shows a large plume of smoke emitting from under the ship’s deck; at least one explosion and injuries among the crew have been reported.MORE: https://t.co/xWDcIoHeG7pic.twitter.com/tlaaMZdVz1
At least 11 sailors have been hospitalized with “minor injuries,” the US Navy announced, adding that all the crewmembers had been evacuated from the ship and accounted for.
Local, base and shipboard firefighters are responding to a fire aboard @LHD6BHR located on @NavBaseSD. Initially, eleven Sailors have been transported to the hospital for minor injuries. The entire crew is off the ship and all are accounted. More information to follow.
So far, it remains unclear what triggered the blaze. Local fire department said that at least one explosion occurred aboard the ship during the blaze.
More views of the #fire burning now on board US #Navy amphibious ship USS #BONHOMME RICHARD LHD6 at 32nd Street Naval Station in San Diego. Reports so far indicate 3 sailors, 1 SDFD fireman injured. At the moment the fire seems to be growing pic.twitter.com/icPblRJOEV
The USS Bonhomme Richard is among the nine big-deck amphibious assault ships in the US inventory, capable to carry multiple helicopters, rotary aircraft or up to six VTOL jets. The vessel spent years with the US forces in Japan before being transferred to San Diego for an overhaul in 2018.
The fire is the second major incident San Diego, that is a major ship-building and naval hub, seen over the past few years. Back in 2018, an accidental flooding of a dry dock, belonging to General Dynamics NASSCO, badly damaged another military vessel, the USNS Miguel Keith, while under construction.
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