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21 people injured following explosion, fire aboard Navy ship in San Diego

SAN DIEGO — Twenty-one people were injured after an explosion and three-alarm fire on board a ship at the U.S. Naval Base in San Diego, U.S. Navy officials confirmed Sunday night.

Update 9:22 p.m. EDT July 12: Initial reports counted only 11 wounded in Sunday’s fire aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard, but officials adjusted that figure to include 17 soldiers and four civilians.

“Seventeen sailors and four civilians are being treated for non-life threatening injuries at a local hospital,” the U.S. Navy reported in a statement.

Federal Fire San Diego Division Chief Rob Bondurant said in a statement that two fire crews were still on board the ship as late as Sunday afternoon.

"Federal Fire is rotating their crews aboard the ship with U.S. Navy firefighting crews from the waterfront to fight the fire in order to find the seat of the fire and extinguish it," Bondurant said. "Navy Region Southwest tugs are also continuously combating the fire from the bay."

The cause of the fire has not been determined, but a defense official told CNN that initial reports indicate it started in the well deck, where small landing craft enter and exit the belly of the ship.

Update 6:03 p.m. EDT July 12: Eighteen sailors were injured after an explosion and three-alarm fire on board a ship at the U.S. Naval Base in San Diego, U.S. Navy officials confirmed early Sunday evening.

Lt. Cmdr. Patricia Kreuzberger told CNN the sailors aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard suffered “minor injuries” from the fire and were transported to a hospital for treatment.

Initial reports indicated only 11 sailors had been injured.

Update 3:21 p.m. EDT July 12: At least 11 people were injured after fires erupted aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard. The injured have been taken to hospitals or are in the process of being transported, officials said.

Original report: An explosion was heard and plumes of smoke were seen on the USS Bonhomme Richard, an amphibious assault ship, KNSD reported.

The San Diego Fire Department said several sailors are being treated for injuries, KNSD reported.

The exact number of injured and the extent of their injuries is unknown.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

Check back for more on this developing story.