A cargo ship captain has been taken into custody after a collision with an oil tanker in the North Sea. The incident involving the Portuguese-flagged Solong and the US-registered tanker Stena Immaculate occurred off the East Yorkshire coast around 10:00 GMT on Monday. The collision has resulted in the arrest of a 59-year-old man on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, as investigations continue. Despite smoke continuing to billow from the Solong, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has expressed confidence that both ships will remain afloat following the collision.
The German company Ernst Russ, owner of the Solong, confirmed that the arrested individual is the ship’s master. The entire crew, including the arrested man, is cooperating with authorities during the investigation. Sadly, one crew member from the cargo ship is still missing and presumed dead after search and rescue efforts were called off on Monday. Sources have revealed that there were both Russians and Filipinos among the crew on board the Solong, whereas all 23 crew members of the Stena Immaculate are Americans currently in Grimsby awaiting repatriation.
An ongoing criminal investigation has been launched by the authorities to determine the cause of the collision, with support from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch. A total of 36 individuals were safely evacuated following the incident. Humberside Police have assumed primary responsibility for investigating any potential criminal offenses associated with the collision and have the arrested individual in custody. Family liaison officers have been appointed to aid the family of the missing crew member from the Solong.
Smoke continues to emanate from the Solong, but the vessel’s owner, Ernst Russ, has assured that there are no containers on board carrying sodium cyanide. Furthermore, there is no evidence yet of heavy engine oil leakage, water pollution, or air pollution stemming from the collision. Stena Immaculate, managed by Crowley, had been carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 separate tanks when it was struck, causing multiple explosions and fuel release. Officials are closely monitoring the situation as salvage operations are anticipated to commence once Solong is towed away from the shore
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