Remains of some 10 missing US Navy sailors found in damaged ship

WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (KUNA) -- The remains of some 10 missing US Navy sailors whose ship collided with an oil tanker off the coast of Singapore were found in compartments sealed to stop the ship from flooding, the commander of the Navy's Pacific Fleet said Tuesday.
Singaporean and Malysian navy ships and aircraft worked with the US to find the sailors at sea. But it was divers who were sent into compartments in the damaged part of the USS McCain that found the remains.
"The divers were able to locate some remains in those sealed compartments during their search today," commander Scott Swift said, noting that it was "premature" to say how many bodies had been found.
He added, "We're always hopeful that there are survivors. Until we have exhausted any potential of recovering survivors or bodies, the search and rescue efforts will continue." The Navy guided-missile destroyer collided weith a Liberian-flagged oil tanker, more than three times its size on Monday at the entrance to the Strait of Malacca.
This was the Navy's fourth major accident at sea in Asia this year. On Monday, the Navy ordered a fleetwide review of training in the Pacific in light of this latest collision. (end) ak.mt