A cargo ship reportedly transporting sodium cyanide collided with a tanker chartered by the US military, resulting in a fire and fuel leakage into the North Sea off the British coast.
Over 30 individuals sustained injuries; however, all crew members from the tanker have been accounted for and rescued.
Here’s what we know regarding the incident involving the tanker Stena Immaculate and the container vessel Solong, which triggered a significant pollution alert along the British coastline.
Fuel tanker struck while anchored
The maritime news outlet Lloyd’s List reported that the Solong was carrying 15 containers of sodium cyanide, which is a flammable substance.
A large fire broke out, engulfing both vessels. According to Crowley Maritime, the tanker was loaded with jet-A1 fuel, and the US Defense Department has verified that the US military was chartering the vessel.
The tanker’s crew “abandoned the vessel following multiple explosions onboard,” as stated by Crowley Maritime, based in Jacksonville, Florida.
Approximately 32 individuals were rescued and brought ashore via three vessels, as reported by Grimsby port director Martyn Boyers. Stena Bulk, the Swedish company that owns the tanker, confirmed that all crew members were safe.
The 140-meter Portuguese-flagged “Solong,” owned by German company Reederei Koepping, was en route from Grangemouth in Scotland to the Dutch port of Rotterdam, according to Vessel Finder.
Vessels ablaze
Images captured the scene of flames and thick black smoke billowing from the wreckage of the two ships. The UK Coastguard coordinated a rescue and emergency pollution response following Crowley Maritime’s statement that the impact had “ruptured” the tanker and ignited a fire.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) mentioned reports of “fires on both ships”.
The government’s Marine Accident Investigation team is on-site, “gathering evidence” and planning “next steps”.
A plane, lifeboats from coastal stations, and other nearby vessels participated in the rescue efforts, according to the coastguard.
Humber traffic suspended
Associated British Ports (ABP), managing ports in Hull and Immingham—areas affected by the incident—announced the suspension of all vessel movements in the Humber estuary leading into the North Sea.
Relatively rare
While the North Sea features busy shipping lanes, accidents are not that common.
Earlier in October 2023, two cargo ships, the Verity and the Polesie, collided near Germany’s Heligoland islands, resulting in three fatalities and two missing individuals.
On October 6, 2015, the freighter Flinterstar sank after colliding with the tanker Al Oraiq eight kilometers off the coast of Belgium, while carrying 125 tonnes of diesel and 427 tonnes of fuel oil.
A significant oil spill in the North Sea occurred in January 1993 when the Liberian tanker Braer experienced engine failure on its route from Norway to Canada, running aground near Scotland’s Shetland Islands and releasing 84,500 tonnes of crude oil.
Was a proper lookout maintained?
David McFarlane from the Maritime Risk and Safety consultancy noted that there are about 200 to 300 ship collisions globally each year, though most involve mere “slight bumps” in port areas.
“Collision regulations… require that all ships maintain a proper lookout at all times. Clearly, something went wrong here, because if a proper lookout had been upheld, this collision could have been avoided,” Mr. McFarlane told AFP.
Once the flames subside, investigators will seek the video data recorders from the two ships—akin to a plane’s “black box”.
These devices are expected to contain information from the vessels’ radar as well as voice recordings from the bridge teams. Mr. McFarlane indicated this information would be crucial in determining whether there was communication between the two ships.
