Ministry of Defence
- The HMS Chiddingfold, a UK Navy warship, has been involved in a second crash.
- The mine-hunter collided with the HMS Penzance in 2021 and has now crashed into HMS Bangor.
- The collision took place off the coast of Bahrain, where the Bangor sustained damage.
Two UK warships that contribute to the Gulf's maritime security collided at a Bahrain port, reports said.
The two Royal Navy vessels, the HMS Chiddingfold and HMS Bangor collided while docking at port off the coast of Bahrain on January 18, sparking an investigation by the Royal Navy.
Video footage of the latest maritime mishap has circulated on social media, that appeared to show the HMS Chiddingfold reversing into HMS Bangor.
No injuries were reported among the Bangor's crew of 39, including mine warfare specialists and mine clearance divers, but the ship sustained significant damage, with a large hole ripped in its hull.
"HMS Chiddingfold got stuck in reverse," reported the Mail Online, quoting an unnamed source.
The Chiddingfold was involved in another crash in 2021.
The Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel, which has been used by the Navy since 1984, collided with HMS Penzance, a ship belonging to the same class as the Bangor, also off the coast of Bahrain.
Both ships, serving as specialist minesweepers, work to maintain the safe flow of trade in the Gulf.
"We are aware of an incident concerning two mine hunters alongside in Bahrain. There are no casualties as a result of this incident, and it would be inappropriate to comment further while investigations are ongoing," a Ministry of Defence spokesperson told BBC News.
Grant Shapps, the UK Secretary of State for Defence, denied incompetence was to blame for the crash.
"We don't say it's incompetence when we see an aircraft come down, a very rare occasion, just as this would be a rare occasion; it's right to leave the investigators some time to work out exactly what's gone wrong," he told Sky News.
Rear Adm. Edward Ahlgren said that the cause of the collision is yet to be determined.
"We train our people to the highest standards and rigorously enforce machinery safety standards, but unfortunately, incidents of this nature can still happen," he told the PA news agency.