The captain of the ship that collided with a US-flagged tanker off the coast of England has been identified as a Russian national, according to the German company owning the vessel.
The Solong encountered the Stena Immaculate, a tanker transporting jet fuel for the US military, on Monday.
On Tuesday, British police detained the captain of the Solong under suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.
Authorities noted that the 59-year-old is currently in custody.
At the time of the incident, the Stena Immaculate was anchored when it was struck by the smaller Solong, resulting in significant fires and explosions, with one crew member missing and presumed dead. The incident also led to fuel being released into the sea, raising concerns about potential environmental damage.
A view of the MV Stena Immaculate oil tanker off the coast of East Yorkshire following Monday’s collision
The Solong failed safety evaluations – Officials from Ireland
Last year, the Solong did not pass certain steering-related safety tests.
Documents from a port state control (PSC) inspection in July revealed that Irish officials reported the vessel’s “emergency steering position communications/compass reading” was “not readable”.
This was one of ten deficiencies noted during the inspection of the Portuguese vessel in Dublin.
Other identified issues included inadequate alarms, improperly maintained survival crafts, and fire doors that did not meet requirements.
Another PSC inspection conducted by Scottish authorities in Grangemouth in October 2024 uncovered two deficiencies with the Solong.
One of these was related to lifebuoys, which are meant to be thrown into the water to prevent drowning, being “not properly marked”.
Despite the findings from the inspections in Dublin and Grangemouth, the Solong was not detained.
PSC inspections are performed on vessels in ports around the globe.
These inspections aim to assess the condition of a ship and ensure that its equipment complies with international regulations.
Additional reporting by PA
