USS Gerald R. Ford limps to Crete for urgent repairs
The US Navy's largest warship, the $13bn USS Gerald R. Ford is currently sailing toward Greece' s island of Kreta (Crete) following a severe internal blaze that has forced it off duty from its role in potential operations against Iran. Approximately 600 sailors were injured during the incident and hundreds more are left without access to sleeping quarters, while critical systems including toilets have reportedly failed due to water damage or smoke infiltration reported by multiple news outlets on March 19th as of noon local time.
Key Points
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1The USS Gerald R. Ford is heading to Crete for repairs after a major onboard fire caused significant damage.
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2Approximately 60 sailors were injured in the incident, which also destroyed hundreds of sleeping quarters on board.
Developments
The USS Gerald R Ford is heading to Crete after an onboard fire in its main laundry area injured sailors and destroyed hundreds of sleeping berths during a nine-month deployment. While two injuries were non-life-threatening, nearly 200 crew members suffered smoke-related harm as the $13bn vessel undergoes repairs following this incident alongside previous operational challenges like blocked toilets.