Cargo ship captain arrested over North Sea collision is Russian, owner says

The captain of the cargo ship which collided with a US oil tanker in the North Sea is a Russian national, the vessel’s owner has said.

A 59-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision, Humberside Police have said.

The Solong cargo ship crashed into the Stena Immaculate oil tanker on Monday at 9:48am off the coast of East Yorkshire.

Grainy thermal camera footage released on Wednesday showed the container ship heading towards the stationary oil tanker before smashing into it, sending a massive fireball into the air.

Police shared a statement on Wednesday morning to confirm “a 59-year-old man remains in our custody having been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision”.

A spokesperson for shipping company Ernst Russ, which owns Solong, said: “The captain is a Russian national.”

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They also confirmed that the rest of the crew were Russian and Filipino nationals.

The Solong was on fire after it separated from the Stena Immaculate and drifted south on Tuesday night, the vessel’s owner said.

Ernst Russ said that while fire activity had “diminished” since yesterday, the ship “continues to emit smoke with occasional reports of flames”.

It added: “Salvage and marine firefighting craft are on scene and will remain engaged. The Coastguard has confirmed that there have been no further reports of pollution to the sea since the initial incident.”

The company said they were “working with the authorities in the investigations now underway to more fully understand these events and learn from the findings.”

Meanwhile, the Stena Immaculate, which was carrying jet fuel, showed no visible flames on board in its last assessment and remains at anchor with safety tugboats in position if required.

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There have been no further reports of pollution to the sea from either vessel, according to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, “beyond what was observed during the initial incident”.

It said: “HM Coastguard’s counter pollution and salvage team has a comprehensive counter pollution response in place should it be required. Salvors also have equipment and personnel ready to respond to any pollution.”

Greenpeace said that an environmental disaster had been “narrowly averted”, but they weren’t out of the “danger zone yet”.

Dr Paul Johnston from the Greenpeace Research Laboratories, said: “When a container ship the length of a football pitch rams into a tanker carrying thousands of tonnes of jet fuel at 16 knots close to sensitive nature sites, the potential for serious harm is huge.”

He said that the priority should be to ensure that no further jet fuel leaks from the tanker and the cargo from the container ship is fully secured.

Dr Johnston added: “This incident is a stark reminder of the inherent risks associated with millions of tonnes of oil and oil products floating in tankers on our oceans each and every day.

“Whether it’s air pollution, climate change or oil spills, fossil fuels are a risk multiplier wherever they are produced, used and found and the sooner we reduce our dependence on them, the better.”