Newly obtained video footage reveals the moment container ship Solong crashed into US oil tanker Stena Immaculate off the coast of East Yorkshire on Monday morning.
The tanker was carrying Jet-A1 fuel for the US Navy as part of a United States government programme designed to supply American armed forces with fuel when required, a military spokesman told Reuters.
On Monday, maritime security sources said there was no indication of any malicious activity or other actors involved in the incident and UK authorities have also said they have so far found no evidence of foul play.
The Solong’s captain was arrested and the vessel’s owner has said he is a Russian national.
Humberside Police arrested the 59-year-old on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter on Tuesday.
The rest of the crew were Russian and Filipino nationals, according to German shipping company Ernst Russ.
Humberside Police said investigators have started a criminal probe into the cause of the collision and are working with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Humberside detectives are working with the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch, and it’s been reported that authorities from the US and Portugal will lead the investigation into what happened.
Pic: Reuters
The Stena Immaculate was stationary and at anchor on the River Humber when it was struck by the smaller Solong, causing huge fires and explosions – with smoke visible from space.
It was initially feared the Solong was carrying sodium cyanide but its German owner Ernst Russ said four containers on the vessel had previously held the hazardous chemical, but there was none on board at the time of the crash.
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Solong captain is Russian national
One missing, presumed dead
One person, a crew member on the Solong, remains missing after the crash and is presumed dead.
The Coastguard rescued 36 people after the alarm was raised at 9.48am on Monday after both vessels caught fire.
The Solong after the collision. Pics: AP/Dan Kitwood
The owner of Stena Immaculate, Stena Bulk, said on Wednesday the 23 members of its crew were all American and in “good health”.
Solong failed safety checks
It has emerged that the Solong failed steering-related safety checks last year.
Inspection documents from July show officials warned the ship’s “emergency steering position communications/compass reading” was “not readable”.
It was among 10 issues highlighted during an inspection by Irish officials.
Other issues included the alarms being “inadequate”, survival craft not being properly maintained and fire doors “not as required”.
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How did ships collide in the North Sea?
Another inspection, this time in Scotland in October 2024, found two issues with the Solong, with one relating to lifebuoys warning they were “not properly marked”.
Ernst Russ said “all deficiencies that were detected during routine port state control inspections of the Solong back in 2024 were promptly rectified”.
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Environmental impact not as severe as initially feared
The Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks – at least one of which was “ruptured” during the collision, shipping company Crowley said.
But it said the jet fuel spill was having a “limited” impact.
The potential environmental impact seems to be less severe than initially feared.
Most of the spilt jet fuel has evaporated or burned off, Crowley said in a post on X. There seems to have been no loss of engine fuel from either vessel and both are expected to remain afloat despite a gaping hole in the side of the Stena Immaculate and earlier fears the Solong would sink.
There are no visible flames on either ship, and the Solong, which was drifting, has now been secured by tugs.
