US Navy destroyer spent four days without power in blistering heat in South China Sea

Washington, Aug. 17 -- A US Navy guided-missile destroyer spent four days last month without working toilets, galley services or air conditioning in the intense heat of the South China Sea post an engineering failure, causing the warship to lose power.

The incident aboard the USS Benfold adds to growing concerns about the strain on the US Navy as it manages the Iran war alongside its wider global commitments.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer was conducting routine operations in the Indo-Pacific on July 24 when it suffered an "engineering casualty involving its generators", Navy Cmdr Matthew Comer, a spokesperson for the US 7th Fleet, said in a statement to CNN.

The power loss left the nearly 10,000-ton warship unable to m...