China News Agency, San Francisco, August 26. A senior U.S. defense official said on the 26th local time that the fire on the amphibious assault ship "Goodman Richard" at San Diego Naval Base in California on July 12 is suspected to be caused by man-made arson. A U.S. Navy sailor is suspected of being a potential suspect.
Multiple sources closely related to the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigation Service told KGTV that investigators believe that the July 12 fire may have been caused by man-made arson. The source said that investigators identified a navy sailor as a suspect of arson during the investigation. The Associated Press reported that a senior US defense official anonymously provided the Associated Press with undisclosed details. The official said that the US Navy Criminal Investigation Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have investigated the sailor, and the head of the Department of Defense has been informed of developments. Currently, the sailor has not been detained, his name and rank have not been disclosed, and the motive for committing the crime has not been confirmed.
Data map: The American warship "Goodman Richard" caught fire in July. Thick smoke continued to gush from the hull, and helicopters hovered over the warship and sprinkled water to extinguish the fire.
Naval spokesman Tim Piektra said: "The Navy will not comment on the ongoing investigation to protect the integrity of all relevant aspects such as the investigation process. We have no news to announce at this time."
At the time of the fire, the warship was docked at the San Diego Naval Base for maintenance. When the 256-meter-long warship caught fire, about 160 sailors and officers were on board. More than 60 sailors and civilians were treated for minor injuries, exhaustion from heatstroke and smoke inhalation.
The amphibious assault ship is one of the few warships in the US fleet that can act as a miniature aircraft carrier. The New York Times reported that although the fire did not touch the engine and propulsion system, the rest of the warship was severely damaged. The "Goodman Richard" burned for more than four days and was the worst fire that a US warship has suffered outside of combat in recent years. According to defense analysts, if the "Goodman Richard" cannot be repaired, it could cost as much as $4 billion to replace it. Senior U.S. Navy officer Michael M. Gildi said that the future of this warship is still uncertain. (Finish)