Australia says navy divers injured by Chinese sonar pulses
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A Chinese destroyer ignored requests to keep clear of the divers, said Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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CANBERRA - Australia has told China it has serious concerns about harm from sonar pulses from a Chinese destroyer that caused minor injuries to navy divers operating off a ship inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
A People’s Liberation Army-Navy destroyer ignored requests to keep clear of the divers, Defence Minister Richard Marles said in a statement on Nov 18.
They had been freeing nets that had become entangled around propellers of the Australian navy’s HMAS Toowoomba, which was conducting operations in the area on Nov 14 to support United Nations sanctions.
“Medical assessments conducted after the divers exited the water identified they had sustained minor injuries likely due to being subjected to the sonar pulses from the Chinese destroyer,” Mr Marles’ office said, calling the incident “unsafe and unprofessional conduct.” BLOOMBERG
