The captain of the Solong cargo ship, which collided with a US-flagged tanker off the English coast, has been identified as a Russian national, according to the vessel’s owner. The crash, which occurred while the Stena Immaculate was anchored in the North Sea, set both ships on fire and prompted a large-scale rescue operation by the British coastguard.
The incident occurred when the Solong, a Portuguese-flagged vessel, collided with the Stena Immaculate, which was carrying large quantities of jet fuel intended for the US military. The crash resulted in a fire on both ships. British police have opened a criminal investigation into the incident and arrested a 59-year-old man, suspected of gross negligence manslaughter. A spokesperson for Ernst Russ, the company that owns the Solong, confirmed to CNN that the arrested individual is the ship’s captain and a Russian national. The rest of the crew aboard the Solong includes a mix of Russians and Filipinos, the spokesperson added.
Martyn Boyers, the CEO of the Port of Grimsby East, expressed disbelief over the crash, citing the advanced technological systems on modern vessels designed to avoid such accidents. “It seems a mystery, really, because all the vessels now have very highly sophisticated technical equipment to plot courses and to look at any obstacles or anything they’ve got to avoid,” Boyers said. “How did that vessel (the Solong) continue plowing into the berth vessel? There must have been some warning signs. They must have been able to detect it on the radar,” he added.
The fire on the Solong continued to burn more than a day after the collision, while the fire on the Stena Immaculate was extinguished by Tuesday. A missing crew member from the Solong is presumed dead, according to Britain’s maritime minister Mike Kane. The search and rescue operation was called off late Monday. Fortunately, the remaining 13 crew members of the Solong were rescued, along with the full 23-person crew of the Stena Immaculate.
The Stena Immaculate, managed by the U.S. logistics firm Crowley, was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel as part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s “Tanker Security Program.” This program is designed to ensure a fleet of commercial tankers is available to transport liquid fuel supplies for the U.S. military in times of need.
Environmental concerns have been raised regarding the potential impact of the fuel spill. Oceanu UK, an environmental group, warned of the “huge” damage that could result from jet fuel spilling into the sea. “It can cause a huge amount of damage to wildlife as well as fish populations,” the group stated.
Reports surfaced Monday evening suggesting that the Solong was carrying large amounts of sodium cyanide, prompting further concerns. However, Ernst Russ later denied these claims, stating that the ship was carrying four empty containers that had previously held the hazardous chemical.
