U.S. carrier sinks dhow in Arabian Gulf

WASHINGTON, July 23 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy is investigating a collision between an aircraft carrier and a small vessel in the Arabian Gulf.

The dhow sank immediately after it was struck by the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy Thursday night, CNN reported. The carrier and a British navy vessel, H.M.S. Somerset, found no survivors.

Dhows, small sailing vessels used for fishing and to carry passengers and cargo in India, the Middle East and East Africa, sometimes have as many as 15 people on board.

A Navy spokesman said the collision was almost certainly accidental since American ships are wary of close encounters with small boats. A terrorist attack on the U.S.S. Cole involved explosives carried on small vessels and killed 17 sailors.