North Sea collision timeline: How devastating oil tanker crash unfolded
An American sailor said the Portuguese-flagged cargo ship ‘came out of the blue’ as it smashed into his oil tanker
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Your support makes all the difference.Anchored 13 miles from the coast, the US-flagged Stena Immaculate was set for a routine stop at the Humber Estuary port in East Yorkshire.
But a “massive” ship “came out of the blue” on Monday morning and smashed into the 183-metre oil tanker, which had left Greece two weeks earlier, causing an instant fireball which was still burning 24 hours later.
The Portuguese-flagged cargo ship Solong, which was sailing to Rotterdam from Grangemouth, Scotland, collided with the tanker laden with 35 million litres of US military jet fuel.
A huge 12-hour rescue operation involving lifeboats and helicopters was launched with 36 people brought to shore. One sailor is missing and presumed dead, and another was rushed to hospital.
An American sailor onboard the Stena Immaculate told CBS News he only had seconds to react after hearing shouts to brace right before the devastating impact.
The decision was made to abandon ship once all the crew members had been accounted for. They left the vessel on a lifeboat, with the captain being the last person to disembark, he said.
The owner of the 140-metre Solong container ship confirmed its Russian captain had been arrested, hours after Humberside Police said it had arrested a 59-year-old man.
He was arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter following the collision between the two vessels.
The vessel owner revealed that the captain is a Russian national.
One crew member from the Solong is still missing and presumed dead, after a search and rescue operation that ended on Monday evening.
The oil tanker's management firm, Crowley, has since revealed it sustained a ruptured cargo tank after it was struck, causing "multiple explosions" and jet fuel to be released into the water.
Oil spill researcher Dr Alex Lukyanov, of the University of Reading, said: “This particular incident is troubling because it appears to involve persistent oil, which breaks up slowly in water.”
There were fears Solong was carrying sodium cyanide, but shipping company Ernst Russ, which manages the vessel, said that was not the case.
Four empty containers on board that “previously contained the hazardous chemical” will “continue to be monitored”, it added.
Downing Street said the collision and subsequent spill was “extremely concerning”, while the coastguard said it was assessing the “likely counter-pollution response required”.
The government said on Tuesday that early investigations did not indicate that the incident was caused by foul play.
Transport minister Mike Kane said Solong “continues to burn” and the coastguard said “it is unlikely the vessel will remain afloat”.
He said the “working assumption” is one crew member from the container ship has died, after a search and rescue operation was ended on Monday evening.
Flames on board the Stena Immaculate have been put out, while Solong “continues to emit smoke with occasional reports of flames” as it drifts south of the collision point.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) chief executive Virginia McVea said: “The Solong is being held in a safe position offshore by a tug and further support vessels remain in the ship’s immediate vicinity.
“This morning’s assessment shows the fires on board the ship have greatly reduced in their extent and intensity.
“The Stena Immaculate remains at anchor, with safety tugs in position should they be required.
“There are no visible flames on board and an on-board assessment may be carried out later today.
“There have been no further reports of pollution to the sea from either vessel beyond what was observed during the initial incident.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We are working closely with HM Coastguard to help support the response to the incident in the North Sea. We are grateful to all emergency personnel for their continued efforts.”
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander added: “I am hugely grateful to HM Coastguard, the RNLI and emergency services who have responded to this incident.
“They were on the scene swiftly, have helped rescue those in immediate danger and I know they will continue to work tirelessly over the coming days. My thoughts are with all those involved, especially the family of the missing crew member.
“The Maritime Accident Investigation Branch has begun a preliminary assessment, and I am working closely with the MCA as they conduct an assessment of any counter-pollution response which may be required over the coming days.”
