21 injured in fire aboard ship at Naval Base San Diego

San Diego

Twenty-one people suffered minor injuries in an explosion and fire Sunday on board a ship at Naval Base San Diego, military officials said. The blaze was reported shortly before 9 a.m. on USS Bonhomme Richard, said Mike Raney, a spokesman for Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, The Associated Press (AP) reported.

Seventeen sailors and four civilians were hospitalized with “non-life-threatening injuries,” Raney said in a brief statement. He didn’t provide additional details. Previously, officials said at least one person was treated for smoke inhalation.

The cause of the fire was under investigation. It wasn’t immediately known where on the 840-foot (255-meter) amphibious assault vessel the blast and the fire occurred. The flames sent up a huge plume of dark smoke visible around San Diego.