US Nuclear Sub, Ship Collide in Strait of Hormuz

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 20, 2009 10:04 AM CDT
US Nuclear Sub, Ship Collide in Strait of Hormuz
The USS New Orleans is seen making its way down the Mississippi River, toward New Orleans.   (AP Photo/US Navy, Shawn Graham, File)

Two US vessels—the USS Hartford nuclear submarine and the amphibious USS New Orleans—collided in the waters between Iran and the Arabian peninsula today, the AP reports. Fifteen sailors were slightly injured aboard the Hartford, but all were able to return to duty. The New Orleans crew was unscathed, but the ship suffered a ruptured fuel tank, spilling 25,000 gallons of diesel.

The nuclear reactor powering the Hartford is undamaged, and both ships are sailing under their own power, continuing into port for repairs. The incident is under investigation. The ships were on routine security patrols in a busy shipping route. Oil prices were trading lower but reversed course after the news and rose to $52.
(More submarine stories.)

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