DFA monitoring PHL vessel, US Navy destroyer collision incident

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Saturday said it is monitoring updates in the collision incident involving a Philippine-flagged merchant vessel and a US Navy destroyer off Japan.

"The Department is closely monitoring reports of the collision that occurred early this morning between a PHL-flagged merchant vessel and US naval vessel near Yokosuka, Japan," a DFA statement said.

"We are coordinating with the relevant authorities including the governments of the US and Japan to determine exactly the extent of damage and the number of casualties, especially if any Filipino nationals are involved," it added.

Seven US crew members are missing and at least three hurt in the collision incident, the US Navy said. 

In a statement, the US Navy said the USS Fitzgerald collided with a merchant vessel at about 2:30 a.m. local time (1730 GMT), some 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, a rare incident on a busy waterway.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Coast Guard said the US ship was experiencing some flooding but was not in danger of sinking, while the merchant vessel was able to sail under its own power.

Three aboard the destroyer had been medically evacuated, including the ship's commanding officer, Cmdr. Bryce Benson, who was reportedly in stable condition after being airlifted to the US Naval Hospital in Yokosuka, the US Navy said.

The other two injured were transferred to the hospital for lacerations and bruises, while other injuries were being assessed, it said.

The Fitzgerald and the Japanese Coast Guard are searching for seven missing sailors. —John Ted Cordero/LBG, GMA News