US Navy says remains found by Malaysia not of a USS McCain sailor

[SINGAPORE] The US Navy said on Thursday remains found by the Malaysian navy were not those of a sailor from the damaged warship USS John S McCain.

The conclusion was made following medical examinations of the remains, which will be returned to Malaysian authorities, the US Seventh Fleet said in a statement posted on its website.

An international search-and-rescue operation involving aircraft, divers and vessels is looking for 10 US sailors missing since Monday's collision between the US guided-missile destroyer and a merchant vessel near Singapore.

On Tuesday, US Navy and Marine divers found human remains inside sealed sections of the damaged hull of the John S McCain, which is moored at Singapore's Changi Naval Base. The Navy has not yet announced the identity of anyone discovered.

REUTERS