SAR for US vessel's remaining missing sailors continues

SINGAPORE: A search area covered by the multi-agency search and rescue (SAR) efforts led by Singapore was further expanded to 5,524km² today, from 2,620km² Tuesday, according to Maritime and Port Authority (MPA).
In updating the SAR efforts, MPA said in the coordinated search efforts with the United States (US), Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia, Singapore and the US were covering the Central sector of the search area.
Malaysia, Australia, and Indonesia are covering the North-west, North-east and Southern sectors, respectively, it said.
The MPA said the SAR continued its day three operations to locate the remaining unaccounted crew of USS John S McCain which was involved in a collision with tanker Alnic MC in Singapore waters on Aug 21.
"Diving operations in the US vessel are currently ongoing," it said.
To cover a wider search area, MPA said the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) deployed one Fokker 50 and one C-130, and had one Super Puma on standby while Australia joined today's operation with a P3 aircraft.
MPA, the co-ordinating agency for the SAR efforts said in total, more than 300 personnel from Singapore were deployed for this operation.
On Tuesday, US Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Scott Swift said some remains had been found and one was located by the Royal Malaysian Navy.
US Navy and Marine Corps divers located those remains when they accessed sealed compartments in the damaged parts of the ship during their search operations.
The bodies were believed to be amongst the 10 US sailors who had been missing after the guided-missile destroyer collided with an oil tanker on Monday morning. — Bernama