On Monday morning, the cargo ship Solong collided with the oil tanker Stena Immaculate approximately 20 kilometres off the East Yorkshire coast near Hull. The collision, occurring in thick fog and poor visibility, has left one crew member missing, presumed dead, and sparked significant environmental concerns, despite initial reassurances.
Collision details emerge
The Solong, a Portuguese-flagged container vessel travelling from Grangemouth in Scotland to Rotterdam, Netherlands, struck the anchored US-flagged Stena Immaculate just before 10:00 GMT. The tanker, carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel for the US military, had been stationary off Hull since Sunday evening. Witness reports suggest the Solong impacted the stationary tanker at approximately 16 knots.
One crew member from the Stena Immaculate, who talked under an agreement not to be identified, described the moment of impact vividly:
“A massive ship came from out of the blue, leaving us ONLY seconds to react. Flames erupted almost immediately.”
Crew aboard the tanker initially fought the fire but quickly determined that abandoning ship was their safest option. They evacuated swiftly and efficiently, reaching lifeboats within half an hour, with some crew members reporting hair singed by encroaching flames. The captain was the last to evacuate, affirming his duty-bound bravery.
Current status and response
By Wednesday, firefighters had successfully extinguished the blaze aboard the Stena Immaculate, which remains safely anchored. The container ship Solong was still smoking with intermittent flare-ups. The vessel, now separated from the tanker, drifted south as firefighting vessels remained on-board tackling the residual flames.
Ernst Russ, the German owners of Solong, expressed deep condolences for the family of the missing crew member and confirmed that the ship’s captain, a 59-year-old Russian national, was arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. All other crew members, which includes Russians and Filipinos, are cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation.
Environmental impact assessment
Initial concerns about significant pollution have been tempered by preliminary assessments, indicating limited fuel leakage. The tanker’s management firm, Crowley, reported that at least one jet fuel tank had ruptured; however, some fuel was believed to have burnt off or evaporated, minimising immediate impact. Aerial surveillance by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has yet to detect substantial pollution on the ocean’s surface.
Despite these reassurances, marine experts highlight potential threats to local wildlife. Jet fuel, toxic when ingested by marine organisms, can severely impact seabirds, marine mammals, and fish species inhabiting the busy shipping waters near the collision site. Wildlife trusts remain on high alert, prepared to respond to any environmental damage.
Investigations underway
The UK’s Maritime Accident Investigation Branch has begun a preliminary inquiry, assessing factors such as visibility, mechanical failures, and human error. Martyn Boyers, chief executive at the port of Grimsby East, referenced to Sky News UK that the area was “very foggy” at the time of the collision, potentially contributing to the incident. Crews involved in initial rescue efforts reported severely limited visibility.
Next steps and clean-up operations
Authorities have established an exclusion zone with a 1km radius around both vessels, maintaining safety of the vessels and crews involved in the fire-fight, cleanup and management of ongoing operations. Immediate clean-up strategies, should they become necessary, would likely include deployment of inflatable booms and mechanical skimmers to collect floating contaminants, supplemented by chemical dispersants to break down jet fuel droplets effectively.
Marine environmental specialists and animal welfare organisations remain on standby, ready to manage potential wildlife rescues and rehabilitation.
Sources:
BBC News, Sky News, MarineTraffic, Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Crowley Maritime Corporation, Ernst Russ Group, Stena Bulk, University of Exeter Greenpeace Laboratories.
