21 people hurt in navy ship inferno

LOS ANGELES, United States (Xinhua) — A total of 21 people, including 17 sailors and four civilians, were injured Sunday morning in a fire on a US Navy ship at Naval Base San Diego in California, authorities said.

The injured are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital after the fire on board USS Bonhomme Richard, according to the Naval Surface Forces, US Pacific Fleet.

“The entire crew is off the ship and all are accounted,” the Naval Surface Forces tweeted, adding that all in port ships have been contacted and directed to provide fire parties to possibly assist with firefighting efforts.

Around 160 sailors were aboard the ship when the fire was called away at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time, according to the tweets.

Officials said that local, base and shipboard firefighters are responding to the three-alarm fire and two military ships near USS Bonhomme Richard have shifted berths to a pier further away from the fire.

USS Bonhomme Richard is going through a maintenance availability and has a crew size of around 1,000, the US Navy said.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said that it is assisting on the fire on board the Navy ship, adding the department is working in unified command with federal firefighters to put out the blaze.

The cause of the fire is still unclear.