Navy Cruiser Blast Injures 6, 1 Critically

An explosion in the hull of a Navy cruiser during routine maintenance left six workers injured one of them critically with life-threatening burns, authorities said according to an Associated Press report. Subcontractors from the National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. were working in the fuel tank of the USS Lake Champlain as it sat in dry dock when the explosion occurred just after noon for reasons not yet determined. Four of the workers were taken to UC San Diego Medical Center. One remained in critical condition Sunday afternoon, according to the report. Two more workers reportedly had been discharged and one was in the process of being discharged. Two others were reportedly treated at the scene of the explosion and released. [Source: AP]