21 injured as fire erupts on US navy ship

An explosion on a United States Navy ship moored at a base in San Diego, California set off a major fire on Sunday (July 12) injuring 21 people - 17 of them sailors, according to the chief of naval operations.

"Seventeen Sailors and four civilians are being treated for non-life threatening injuries at a local hospital," the US Navy said in a statement.

The sailors on the USS Bonhomme Richard had "minor injuries" from the fire and were taken to a hospital, Lt. Cmdr. Patricia Kreuzberger told CNN earlier Sunday.

The sailors are in stable condition, Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck told journalists Sunday evening.

All of the crew is off the ship and accounted for, according to a tweet from the US Pacific Fleet Naval Surface Forces Sunday afternoon.

Firefighters battled a three-alarm fire on the ship Sunday morning, SDFD's Mónica Muñoz said. Several different agencies worked to fight the blaze.

About 160 sailors were on board at the time and all have been accounted for, the US Navy said. The ship normally carries a crew of about 1,000.

Dhaka/AI