Navy Ship Runs Aground: USS Guardian (MCM-5) Stuck On Tubataha Reef In The Philippines: 81 Sailors Not Injured, No Fuel Leak

No injuries were reported after a U.S. Navy minesweeper, USS Guardian (MCM-5) has run aground in the Sulu Sea in the Philippines on the Tubataha Reef. The ship with a crew of 81 is currently stuck on the reef without indications of a potential fuel leak.

The Tubataha Reef, which is located 400 miles south of Manila, was transiting in the Sulu Sea at 2:25 a.m. when it became grounded. In a statement the Navy's Seventh Fleet said, "The ship is currently stuck on the reef, approximately 80 miles east-southeast of Palawan Island," said the statement late Wednesday. "The crew is currently working to determine the best method of safely extracting the ship."

The ship carrying six officers and 75 enlisted sailors is under investigation for damages and no leakage of fuel has been discovered. The Navy's 14 Avenger-Class ships are "are designed as mine sweepers/hunter-killers capable of finding, classifying and destroying moored and bottom mines." The long vessels "use sonar and video systems, cable cutters and a mine detonating device that can be released and detonated by remote control. They are also capable of conventional sweeping measures."