Destroyer Heads for Singapore After Collision
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The Kinkaid, a U.S. Navy destroyer that collided with a merchant ship off Malaysia on Sunday, is proceeding on its own power toward Singapore, its original destination, a Navy spokesman said.
The collision between the Kinkaid and the Singapore merchant vessel, Kota Petani, left one American officer dead and injured five other shipmates, according to Cmdr. David L. Dillon, a spokesman for the Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet in San Diego.
Lt. Sean Michael McPhee, 24, of Santa Rosa, the destroyer’s navigator, was killed in the collision. The five other Navy personnel involved in the accident were not seriously hurt.
No injuries were reported aboard the merchant vessel, Dillon added.
The Kinkaid, accompanied by the frigate Rentz, had sailed from San Diego on June 16 and was en route to Singapore for a routine port call, according to the Navy.
Several fires broke out aboard the Kinkaid and the Kota Petani when they collided in the Strait of Malacca, about 240 miles northwest of Singapore. The fires were quickly contained with help from the Rentz, Dillon said.
The cause of the collision is under investigation. But initial reports indicate that the merchant ship struck the destroyer, Dillon said.
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