Tragically News: sailboats on fire 8 people died and 12 hospitalized

Tanker, container ship on fire after collision in North Sea, one crew missing

Published on 10-03-2025 at 19:49

The oil tanker Stena Immaculate and the container ship Solong collided in the North Sea. One crew member is missing, and one person has been hospitalised.

Several images are circulating on social media, including this one, which is likely of the container ship Solong. X

A container ship and an oil tanker collided in the North Sea off the coast of East Yorkshire. The accident involved the US-flagged oil tanker Stena Immaculate and the container ship Solong.

One crew member is missing from the Solong, according to the vessel’s owner, Ernst Russ, as reported by the BBC. The Hamburg-based company confirmed that 13 of the 14 crew members had been safely brought ashore, with efforts to locate the missing individual still ongoing.

It was previously reported that all crew members from both vessels had been accounted for. One person has been hospitalised.

UK Coast Guard ends search for missing crew member; “Solong came out of the blue” tanker crew says

The cause of the collision remains under investigation. The UK Coastguard stated it is evaluating the “likely” counter-pollution response required following the incident.

Erik Hanell, CEO of Stena Bulk, confirmed to the BBC that all 20 crew members aboard the tanker were accounted for and safe.

Crowley: Stena Immaculate crew is safe and accounted for

P&O Ferries has stated that the Humber Estuary remains closed to all traffic.

Both vessels on fire

British media report that a fire has also erupted on the container ship, contradicting earlier reports which suggested the blaze was confined to the tanker. Images show substantial smoke emanating from the vessels, while unverified footage suggests the fire has been raging for several hours, causing significant damage.

The Stena Immaculate was anchored in the designated anchorage area at the port of Killingholme, UK, where it arrived on Sunday, 9 March, while the Solong departed the same area early this morning en route to Rotterdam.

16 knots

Data from the ship tracking website MarineTraffic indicates that one vessel was moving while the other was nearly stationary at the time of the collision. The Stena Immaculate, which had departed from Agioi Theodoroi in Greece, was drifting at 0.1 knots at 09:48 GMT. The Solong, en route from Grangemouth in Scotland to Rotterdam, was approaching from the north at 16 knots.

Two maritime security sources cited by Reuters found no evidence of malicious activity or third-party involvement in the incident.

The container ship (on the right) appears to be stuck in the tanker (left) / @Social media image

The collision took place in a congested section of the waterway, frequently used by vessels travelling between ports on Britain’s northeast coast and those in the Netherlands and Germany.

HM Coastguard received the alert at 9:48 am local time and is coordinating the emergency response. Helicopters and rescue boats were deployed to the scene.

A rescue helicopter from Humberside, lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Mablethorpe, and Cleethorpes, an HM Coastguard fixed-wing aircraft, and nearby vessels with firefighting capability have been dispatched to assist.

The chemical and product tanker Stena Immaculate, built in 2017, has an LOA of 183m, a beam of 32m, and a deadweight of 50,000t. The vessel is jointly owned by Stena and Crowley and operated by Crowley.

The container ship Solong was built in 2005 and currently operates under the flag of Madeira (Portugal). The 803 TEU feeder vessel has an LOA of 140m and a beam of 21.8m. The vessel was chartered to Samskip for a 12-month period in September 2024.

The Stena Immaculate / Credit: Stena Bulk

Aviation fuel, sodium cyanide

The Stena Immaculate was carrying Jet A1 aviation fuel, according to an alleged audio recording from Humber Coastguard. The vessel has a maximum capacity of 46,572 m3 of fuel. The tanker sustained damage to a cargo tank containing Jet A1 fuel following an allision, resulting in a fire and a reported release of fuel.

According to a report by maritime data provider Lloyd’s List Intelligence, the Solong was carrying 15 containers of sodium cyanide, along with other cargo, at the time of its collision with the tanker.

These reports have since been refuted by Ernst Russ.

According to Reuters, the tanker was one of just 10 vessels participating in a US government programme designed to supply fuel to the armed forces. The vessels can be called upon by the US military at short notice, although there is no indication that it was being utilised for such purposes at the time of the accident.

The US military confirmed that the oil tanker was en route to the US Navy’s Sealift Command. The US Air Force operates multiple bases in the UK.

Ship insurer Skuld, based in Norway, confirmed that the Stena Immaculate was covered under its protection and indemnity insurance, which provides coverage for environmental damage, as well as crew injuries or fatalities.

The accident occurred near Hull / Credit: HM Coastguard

The Solong (pictured in 2018 in Aarhus) / Credit: Wikimedia/NAC

Tags: Crowley, Ernst Russ, Jet A1 fuel, North Sea, North Sea collision, Samskip, Ships on fire, Sodium cyanide, Solong, Stena, Stena Immaculate, Tanker container ship collision, Tanker on fire

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Author: Matko Rak

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