TOKYO — The US Navy paid tribute on Tuesday to seven sailors who were killed when their destroyer collided with a merchant ship off Japan.

The Japan-based Seventh Fleet said more than 2,000 sailors and their families attended the ceremony in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo. They lined the streets waving flags in memory of the victims.

The USS Fitzgerald, carrying nearly 300 crew members, and Philippine-flagged container ship ACX Crystal collided in waters off Yokosuka in the predawn hours of June 17. Severe damage to the right side and bottom of the guided-missile destroyer flooded the berths of 116 sailors. Navy divers found the bodies of the seven in the ship after it returned to Yokosuka.

The collision occurred in an accident-prone area known for congestion with ships trying to reach Tokyo by daybreak.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Japanese coast guard officials say they are eyeing possible professional negligence, but so far their interviews of the container ship’s captain and crew members — all Filipinos — have been on a voluntary basis.

The US Navy is investigating what happened aboard the warship, while Japanese authorities are investigating the container ship and its crew.

Associated Press