Fire on US warship in Okinawa extinguished
A fire on a US military vessel off the coast of Uruma, Okinawa Prefecture, southernmost Japan, was extinguished Thursday morning, the US Navy's 7th Fleet said.
Two crew members of the USS New Orleans, an amphibious warship anchored near White Beach Naval Facility, were slightly injured in the fire.
The fire broke out at approximately 4 p.m. on Wednesday and was declared extinguished at 4 a.m. Thursday, the 7th Fleet said. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, it said.
Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki urged the US military to take measures to prevent a recurrence.
"The fire is extremely regrettable because it caused great fear to the Okinawa people and threatened to become a disaster that could have harmed residents," Tamaki said at a press conference.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
