An oil tanker has caught alight in a “massive fireball” after colliding with a cargo vessel in the North Sea.
The alarm was first raised on the Humber Estuary in East Yorkshire at 9.48am on Monday. A Portuguese-flagged cargo vessel collided with a US-flagged oil tanker, which was understood to be at anchor and carrying aviation fuel.
A May Day call from the HM Coastguard requested help from vessels with fire-fighting equipment or which could assist with search and rescue.
Four lifeboat crews were called to the scene and “a number of people had abandoned the vessels”, according to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
Two maritime security sources said there was no indication of any malicious activity or other actors involved in a crash.
Are all sailors accounted for?
One member of the Solong crew was still missing as night fell, according to the ship’s Hamburg-based owner, Ernst Russ.
He confirmed that the search is still underway, before adding: “13 of the 14 Solong crew members have been brought safely ashore. Efforts to locate the missing crew member are ongoing.”
Where in the North Sea did this happen?
The collision took place on the Humber Estuary in East Yorkshire, with the oil tanker at anchor.
Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, said he had been told there was “a massive fireball” following the crash.
What are the ships called?
The cargo vessel called MV Solong was due to arrive at the port of Rotterdam, Netherlands, according to tracking website VesselFinder. The container ship was built in 2005 and currently sails under the flag of Madeira.
The Solong vessel is believed to be carrying 15 containers of sodium cyanide among other cargo, according to a report from maritime data provider Lloyd’s List Intelligence.
The container vessel was also transporting an unknown quantity of alcohol, the casualty report – an assessment of incidents at sea – said.
Sodium cyanide releases hydrogen cyanide gas, a highly toxic chemical asphyxiant that interferes with the body’s ability to use oxygen. Exposure to sodium cyanide can be rapidly fatal, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say.
It made contact with a US-flagged oil tanker, called the Stena Immaculate, which was carrying A-1 jet fuel. The vessel was en route to Killingholme Port, just off the Humber Estuary. The chemical and oil products tanker was built in 2017 and its overall length is 183 metres.
The US Military confirmed the oil tanker was en route to US Navy’s Sealift Command.
How many people were on board?
Mr Boyers said a further nine casualties were brought ashore aboard a harbour pilot vessel – taking the total number of those injured so far to 32.
Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness, said he understood that only one person was in hospital.
Erik Hanell, the chief executive of ship owner Stena Bulk, confirmed that all the crew of the oil tanker MV Stena Immaculate have been accounted for and are safe.
Mr Hanell also said it was too early to speculate on the cause of the collision.
RNLI reported “a number of people” had abandoned both vessels. The casualties’ conditions remain unclear.
A coastguard call asked neighbouring vessels which could assist with a search and rescue effort to contact Humber Coastguard.
What have the coastguard and RNLI said?
An RNLI spokesperson said: “Four lifeboat crews have been called to an incident off the East Yorkshire coast this morning (Monday 10 March).
“At 10.20am, HM Coastguard tasked Bridlington, Cleethorpes, Mablethorpe and Skegness lifeboats to support their response to two vessels that were reported to have been in collision with each other.
“There were reports that a number of people had abandoned the vessels following a collision and there were fires on both ships.
“By 11.40am, Cleethorpes had been stood down while Bridlington, Mablethorpe and Skegness continued to support search and rescue efforts.
“The incident is ongoing with the RNLI and HM Coastguard working together.”
A HM Coastguard spokesperson said: “HM Coastguard is currently co-ordinating the emergency response to reports of a collision between a tanker and cargo vessel off the coast of East Yorkshire.
“The alarm was raised at 9.48am.
“A Coastguard Rescue Helicopter from Humberside was called, alongside lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Maplethorpe and Cleethorpes, an HM Coastguard fixed wing aircraft, and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability.
“The incident remains ongoing.”
Who is likely to be responsible for the clean-up costs?
Under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, the UK Government is likely to meet many of the immediate clean-up and emergency response costs. The vessel owners and their insurers may also meet costs, which some environmental groups estimated at around £15million.
Climate solicitor Harj Narulla of Doughty Street Chambers told The Independent: “The Government may in due course seek to recover their cleanup costs from the owners and insurers of both vessels.
“If other parties suffer loss — such as local fishing companies, local government or tourism operators — they could also commence claims against the vessel owners and insurers.”
