Gun Goes Off Aboard Ship, Injuring Sailor

The ShiraneJapanese naval officers are investigating the accidental firing of a heavy machine gun on a destroyer, which seriously injured an officer on the ship. The accident occurred on the 5,200-ton Shirane that was sailing on the high seas about 340 miles west of Manila on its way to Singapore to participate in a multilateral joint drill, the Mainichi Shimbun reported Wednesday. A heavy machine gun on the vessel accidentally went off Tuesday morning, and fragments of a cartridge hit the chest of a 34-year-old petty officer 2nd class. He suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to Manila to receive treatment. Four officers were dispatched to the vessel to identify the cause of the accident.