A 59-year-old man has been taken into custody on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with a collision that occurred in the North Sea yesterday, as reported by Humberside Police.
Today, two ships ignited off the English coast, just a day after the unexplained collision that resulted in a tanker carrying US Army jet fuel sustaining a serious breach in its hull. Meanwhile, a container ship has been left adrift, facing an uncertain fate in the turbulent waters.
Tragically, a crew member aboard the Portuguese-flagged container ship, the Solong, is presumed dead, with junior transport minister Mike Kane informing Parliament that the vessel is unlikely to remain afloat.
Following the incident, 36 individuals were safely brought ashore, with authorities confirming that no one else remains missing, according to the coastguard.
In a statement, Minister Kane remarked, “Extensive work has already been carried out, and we are working closely with our partners to understand what happened and to provide support to all of those affected.”
He continued, “Following enquiries undertaken by my team, we have arrested a 59-year-old man on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision, this follows the conclusion of search operations by HM Coastguard for the missing crew member of the Solong.”
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The tanker, Stena Immaculate, which transports jet fuel for the US military, was anchored when it was struck by the smaller vessel, Solong. This collision led to massive fires and explosions, as well as fuel leakage into the sea.
Aerial footage captured today shows a significant breach in the hull of the Stena Immaculate, with fire damage evident along its length, although the flames that once engulfed the ship appear to have diminished.
As the coastguard noted, “The Solong is still alight, but the fire on board the Stena Immaculate has greatly diminished. Safety vessels and firefighting ships remain on site, with additional support arriving today.”
The Solong, seen heavily scorched in separate footage, has drifted south overnight, prompting the coastguard to establish a one-kilometer exclusion zone around both vessels.
Minister Kane added, “Modeling suggests that should the Solong remain afloat, it will stay clear of land for the next few hours. However, the coastguard’s assessment is that it is unlikely the vessel will be able to remain afloat.”
To assist in the salvage operation of the Stena Immaculate, Dutch marine provider Boskalis has dispatched four vessels equipped with foam and extinguishing agents to the scene. The British government has also put equipment on standby to mitigate pollution at sea, such as spray dispersants for oil spills and containment booms.
As the potential environmental impact is currently being assessed, coordinated efforts are in place involving the Maritime and Coastguard Agency along with an East of England environmental group, with aerial monitoring ongoing. The UK Health Security Agency has indicated that “any public health risk on shore is currently deemed to be very low.”
While authorities and vessel operators have yet to provide an explanation for the incident or how the onboard safety systems failed to prevent it, data from maritime analytics site Marine Traffic reveals that the 183-meter Stena Immaculate was anchored off Immingham, northeast England, when it was struck by the 140-meter Solong, which was on its route to Rotterdam.
The Solong was reportedly traveling at cruising speed, near its maximum of 18-19 knots, and had navigated this area in previous voyages. A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that, as of now, there is no indication of foul play surrounding the incident.
British officials emphasized that the situation is not being treated as a national security issue, with two maritime security sources affirming that there are no clues pointing to malicious activity being involved.
The Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel across 16 segregated cargo tanks, although it remains uncertain how much fuel was lost when at least one of the tanks was impacted, as per Crowley, the US logistics group operating the vessel. Meanwhile, the owners of Solong clarified that the vessel is not carrying sodium cyanide, responding to earlier reports, and are keeping an eye on four containers that had previously held the substance.
The potential for jet fuel contamination could significantly impact local marine life, particularly threatening large colonies of protected seabirds in the area, such as puffins and gannets, as well as the fish that form their food supply.
This collision, which transpired yesterday morning in a busy shipping lane, triggered a substantial rescue operation involving aircraft, lifeboats, and multiple vessels. Although the Marine Accident Investigation Branch in the UK will begin gathering initial evidence, the broader investigation into the crash will be the responsibility of the US and Portuguese authorities, as the flag states of the involved ships.
In the words of the Minister, “We are committed to uncovering the truth of this incident and ensuring all necessary measures are taken to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again.”
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.
