by Adedotun Michael

The USS John S. McCain which suffered huge damage after colliding with an oil tanker thrice its size off the Strait of Malacca has arrived at the Changi Naval Base in Singapore with a large hole in its side just above the waterline.

What we know so far

Ten sailors are still unaccounted for after the collision, which wrecked havoc at the hull, flooded nearby machinery and communications room coupled with crew berthing – but, further flooding was halted by damage control efforts by the crew.

The guided-missile destroyer’s mission

The USS John S McCain which was equipped with the Aegis combat system, had been on its way to a routine port visit in Singapore after patrolling in the South China Sea.

Shipping data also revealed that the Liberian-flagged merchant vessel Alnic MC was also heading to Singapore when the ships collided east of the Strait of Malacca at 5:24am local time while it was still dark – a 550 – mile-long Strait which according to analyst is one of the world ’s busiest shipping lanes but is well governed and runs between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian Island of Sumatra, serving as a connection for the Pacific and Indian oceans.