Two UK warships at risk of sinking after collision in Persian Gulf
A multi-million-dollar British Royal Navy warship has crashed into another hi-tech combat vessel anchored at a port in Bahrain, facing risks of sinking.
In a video posted on the internet, the older Royal Navy ship HMS Chiddingfold, a hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel, was filmed smashing into the Royal Navy's minehunter HMS Bangor on Thursday, at an undisclosed location in the Persian Gulf island state.
Triggered by a mechanical fault, the collision resulted in a gigantic hole in the hull of HMS Bangor, which was constructed of glass reinforced plastic, destroying nearly the galley and bedrooms.
“The understanding at the moment is when she was attempting to go astern, there was a malfunction,” an source told Daily Mail.
“The crew couldn’t alter her course so they were forced to look on helplessly as she careered into HMS Bangor’s rear quarter bow first,” it added. “Her interior was ripped apart too. The ship won’t be in action for a while.”
After the collision, the sailors got into efforts to stop the vessel from sinking, as it is teetered while being on the edge of sinking.
A British military spokesperson confirmed the embarrassing mishap and reported no causalities.
“We are aware of an incident concerning two Minehunters alongside in Bahrain. There are no casualties as a result of this incident and it would be inappropriate to comment further whilst investigations are ongoing,” the spokesperson told the Daily Mirror.
Navy sources suggested there was no timeline yet for when the vessel can return to frontline duties, after the repair work is done.
The Bangor’s standard crew of 39 includes mine warfare specialists and mine clearance divers.
According to the Ministry of Defense, Bangor is equipped with SeaFox unmanned underwater vehicles that trawl the ocean floor searching for mines.
Usually it is based at the Clyde naval base in Faslane, Scotland, but she has been on long-term deployment to the Persian Gulf, probably because of the rising tensions in the Red Sea.
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