Australian Navy divers injured by Chinese warship’s sonar pulses | ABC News

Australian naval personnel have sustained minor injuries after being subjected to sonar pulses from a Chinese warship. Subscribe: Read more here: HMAS Toowoomba had been operating in international waters off Japan in support of a United Nations mission to enforce sanctions when the incident occurred on Tuesday. Naval divers were working to clear fishing nets from the Australian frigate’s propellers, when the Chinese warship began operating its hull-mounted sonar. According to Defence Minister Richard Marles, the Australian frigate provided multiple warnings to vessels in the area that diving operations were underway. “Despite acknowledging Toowoomba’s communications, the Chinese vessel approached at a closer range,“ he said. “Soon after, it was detected operating its hull-mounted sonar in a manner that posed a risk to the safety of the Australian divers who were forced to exit the water.“ It’s understood the divers suffered injuries to their ears, likely due to the sonar pulses. ABC News provides around the clock coverage of news events as they break in Australia and abroad, including the latest coronavirus pandemic updates. It’s news when you want it, from Australia’s most trusted news organisation. For more from ABC News, click here: Watch more ABC News content ad-free on ABC iview: Go deeper on our ABC News In-depth channel: Like ABC News on Facebook: Follow ABC News on Instagram: Follow ABC News on Twitter: Note: In most cases, our captions are auto-generated. #ABCNews #ABCNewsAustralia