USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier collides with merchant vessel in the Mediterranean Sea near Egypt
The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman was in a collision with a merchant vessel in the Mediterranean Sea near Egypt, the Navy said Thursday. There were no reports of injuries or flooding after the collision, a Navy spokesperson said in a statement.
The collision happened late Wednesday night near Port Said, Egypt, according to a statement from Navy Cmdr. Timothy Gorman, a spokesperson for the 6th Fleet.
The collision is under investigation.
The Truman was approaching the Suez Canal to go from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, a Navy official told CBS News. There’s no assessment at this time which vessel was at fault, the official said.
The Truman sustained some damage above the waterline, the official said. It wasn’t clear if it will be going in for repairs.
The carrier’s propulsion wasn’t affected by the collision, the official said.
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The carrier’s strike group was in the eastern Mediterranean after about two months of combat operations in U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility, which includes parts of the Middle East, according to the 2nd Fleet.
The strike group carried out airstrikes against ISIS in Somalia on Feb. 1, according to U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Last Thursday, the carrier arrived in Greece for a working port visit.
contributed to this report.