May 23 10:55 PM US/EasternYOKOSUKA, Japan, May 24 (AP) - (Kyodo)—A local civic group opposed to the imminent deployment of the U.S. aircraft carrier George Washington and a Yokosuka city official said Saturday they will closely watch how the United States handles the aftermath of the fire that took place aboard the nuclear- powered carrier on Thursday.
Masahiko Goto, a co-leader of the group, said, "The aircraft carrier is loaded with weapons, jet fuel and other hazardous materials lumped together in a narrow space, and the fire this time demonstrated the potential danger" such an incident may pose.
"We would like to closely watch if the U.S. Navy will see to it that information about this trouble is released to citizens," said Goto, a lawyer who leads the citizens' group for examining the issue of making Yokosuka the home port for the aircraft carrier.
Masashi Suzuki, a municipal official of the division in charge of U.S. base-related measures, said he was informed of the incident Friday night by the Foreign Ministry.
"I was told that it was a small fire," he said. "Since there was no abnormality in the nuclear reactor and other parts and there would also appear to be no change in schedule, we would like to watch the situation" surrounding the carrier.
One sailor was treated for burns and 23 others for heat stress after the fire aboard the U.S. Navy vessel while traveling in the Pacific Ocean off South America on Thursday morning. The Defense Department said the Navy is investigating the cause.
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