Fire Aboard USS Gerald R. Ford Was Worse Than Pentagon Reported: CNN

Washington, MINA – A fire aboard a US warship in the Middle East earlier this year appears to have been much worse than the Pentagon reported, after CNN on Thursday obtained a video of the damaged aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, according to Anadolu Agency.

When the fire was reported in March, the US Navy released a statement saying the blaze had been “contained,” that two sailors suffered “non-life-threatening injuries,” and that the carrier was “fully operational.”

However, the new video shows that the fire was more severe and damaging than originally disclosed, said CNN, and sources told the outlet that the ship’s fire-suppression system failed to work.

The fire broke out while the Gerald R. Ford was operating in the Middle East as part of the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran, which began on February 28.

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Military officials said it took more than 30 hours to extinguish the blaze, and the damage left more than 600 service members without beds, according to a report by the New York Times.

Dozens of service members were reported to have suffered smoke inhalation, in addition to the two who were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Crew members who lost their beds were reported to be bunking on floors and tables, and since the fire originated in the main laundry area, sailors had no access to wash their clothes.

The US Central Command said in a statement in March that the fire caused “no damage to the ship’s propulsion plant, and the aircraft carrier remains fully operational,” but crew members reported that the plumbing system of 650 toilets on board frequently breaks down.[]

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)