Fire aboard Navy destroyer USS Higgins, officials say
Washington — A fire broke out Tuesday aboard the USS Higgins, a guided missile destroyer and the mainstay of the Navy’s forward presence in Asia, according to U.S. officials.
One of the officials told CBS News that the fire disabled the destroyer’s power and propulsion because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
It was limited to one piece of equipment and the flames did not spread.
As of Wednesday, no injuries to US soldiers were reported.
Details about how the fire started and Higgins’ exact location at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) were not yet available.
No details were available about which parts of the ship were damaged and how long the repair would take.
Higgins moved to Singapore in February, according to AIS Marine ship data.
A defense ministry official said in a statement: “An electrical fire occurred aboard USS Higgins while at sea in the Indo-Pacific. The fire was immediately extinguished by the crew and no injuries were reported. The situation is under control and the ship is currently underway. The cause is under investigation.”
The US Navy classified it as an “electrical accident”; This means that there was no major fire, but a short circuit in one of the ship’s generators.
A small fire broke out aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower earlier this month. hurtful eight US Navy sailors, The US Naval Institute reported. Separately, a fire broke out in the aircraft carrier’s laundry. USS Gerald R. Fordinjured two sailors.
Ford and his accompanying strike group expected A US official confirmed to CBS News on Wednesday that they will leave the Middle East in the coming days. Ford was one of three carriers operating in the area.
Higgins, whose home base is in Yokosuka, Japan, is part of the Navy’s forward-deployed forces assigned to the 7th Fleet, a key component of the United States Indo-Pacific Command that oversees American military operations across more than half the world.
The ship is named after Marine Colonel William Higgins, a Vietnam war veteran who was part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon when he was hijacked by Hezbollah-linked militants in February 1988. Higgins was tortured, interrogated and then killed. He was promoted to his current rank while in captivity. Higgins ruins It was found on a street in Beirut in December 1991.
