A Panamanian-flagged commercial ship collided with a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier near Egypt's Suez Canal, causing damage but no casualties.

A Navy official said that the Panamanian-flagged commercial ship Besiktas-M and the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman collided Wednesday night in the Mediterranean Sea close to Egypt. There was no flooding or damage to Truman's nuclear propulsion system, albeit the source is still unknown. Despite substantial damage to the commercial vessel, no casualties were recorded.

The event occurred near the Suez Canal, a busy maritime location with about 100 ships at the time, according to marine specialists. Tracking data showed that the Besiktas-M had just exited the canal and was headed for Romania, while the Truman was heading toward that country. The Truman had just landed at Souda Bay, Greece, following two months of combat operations against Houthi rebels in Yemen and ISIS in Somalia.

It takes ships almost a mile to halt in restricted waterways, according to experts, leaving little space for maneuvering. To ascertain the reason, investigations are still underway.

These aircraft carrier collisions are rare.  However, in 2004 the USS John F. Kennedy was struck by a dhow in the Persian Gulf. Also in 2017, 17 sailors died in fatal collisions between the USS John S. McCain and the USS Fitzgerald.