US sub hits unknown object in South China Sea
A US nuclear submarine collided with an “unknown object” while submerged in waters in the Asia-Pacific region, injuring a number of sailors, US officials say.
It was not clear what caused the incident on Saturday, they said. The submarine remained “fully operational”.
Unnamed officials told US media the collision happened in international waters in the South China Sea, and that 11 sailors had been injured.
The incident happened amid rising tensions in the region.
The US Navy said the extent of the damage was still being assessed and that the submarine’s nuclear propulsion plant and spaces had not been affected.
The statement did not give details about where the incident took place or the number of people hurt, saying only that the injuries were not “life threatening”.
In comments reported by Chinese state-run daily Global Times, a spokesman for the ministry of foreign affairs said China was “seriously concerned” about the incident, calling on the US to provide further details, including the purpose of the mission.
The submarine was later reported to be heading towards the US territory of Guam.
USNI News, a site specialised in the US Navy, said the last known incident where a submerged US submarine struck another underwater object was in 2005, when the USS San Francisco hit an underwater mountain at full speed near Guam. One sailor died in the incident.
Why is the South China Sea so contentious?
The USS Connecticut was operating in one of the most contested regions in the world. China claims most of the South China Sea, but surrounding countries and the US disagree.
The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam have all been disputing China’s claim to almost all of the Sea for decades but tension steadily increased in recent years.
The US has backed many of these countries in this territorial dispute.
The incident comes just weeks after the US, UK and Australia agreed a historic security pact in the Asia-Pacific, in what’s seen as an effort to counter China.
Meanwhile, the US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, said he was “deeply concerned” about actions that undermine peace across the Taiwan Strait, which separates Taiwan and China.
He was speaking after China sent a record number of military jets into Taiwan’s air defence zone for the fourth day running.
Source: Agencies