The detained captain of a cargo ship which struck a tanker chartered by the US military is a Russian national, the owners of the container vessel said Wednesday, as questions lingered over the cause of the rare North Sea crash.
Monday's collision triggered huge fires aboard the two ships, which were still burning two days later although they had been greatly reduced by a huge firefighting effort.
Investigations are continuing into how the Portuguese-flagged Solong cargo ship ran into the US-flagged Stena Immaculate which was anchored about 13 miles (20 kilometres) off the coast of the northeastern UK port of Hull.
UK police on Tuesday arrested the captain of the Solong, owned by German company Ernst Russ, on suspicion of manslaughter after the crash left one crew member missing, presumed dead.
"Ernst Russ confirms that the master is a Russian national," the Germany-based company said in a statement to AFP. "The rest of the crew are a mix of Russian and Filipino nationals."
The detained 59-year-old "remains in our custody having been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter", Humberside police said Wednesday.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-sea-collision-no-sodium-cyanide-containers-on-vessel-that-crashed-into-oil-tanker-confirms-owner-8843755">North Sea collision: Man arrested on suspicion of gross negligence; no sodium cyanide containers on vessel</a>
The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday that Irish officials had found the Solong's emergency steering compass was deficient during a routine safety check last year.
It was one of 10 deficiencies noted in the inspection carried out when the ship visited Dublin in July 2024.&nbsp;
Something went "terribly wrong" for the crash to happen but that there was "no evidence" of foul play, UK undersecretary for transport Mike Kane told MPs on Tuesday.
At least one tank containing some of the 220,000 barrels of jet fuel on board the Stena Immaculate was "ruptured", according to the tanker's US-based operator Crowley. That sparked concerns for the surrounding environment and wildlife.
But there were "no further reports of pollution to the sea" following the "initial incident", Virginia McVea, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said Wednesday.
<h2>'Narrowly averted'</h2>
Environmental campaign group Greenpeace, which had raised the alarm at the potential fallout in the wildlife rich Humber estuary, said an "environmental disaster may have been narrowly averted".
"Though an incident of this scale is rare, any such accident has the potential to become an environmental disaster," said Paul Johnston from the Greenpeace Research Laboratories.
Aerial AFP images on Tuesday showed a gaping gash in the middle of the 140-metre-long (460 foot) tanker, and smoke billowing from the Solong, which was reduced to an almost burnt-out wreck.&nbsp;
There were "no visible flames on board" the tanker as of Wednesday morning, according to the Coastguard.
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The Solong, which had been drifting southwards was "being held in a safe position off shore", McVea said, adding the fires on the cargo ship had "greatly reduced".
Maritime expert Abdul Khalique told AFP such a collision between an anchored ship and another on a "routine" journey was "very rare".
"It's still not known why was MV Solong unable to take action to avoid collision," said Khalique, head of the Maritime Centre at Liverpool John Moores University.
The vessel missed "multiple opportunities" to change course, he said, adding the full reasons for the crash would only emerge after the investigation.
The Stena Immaculate was on a short-term US military charter with Military Sealift Command, according to a spokesperson for the command, which operates civilian-crewed ships for the US Defense Department.
According to data collected by website VesselFinder, the impact of the crash displaced the tanker by "more than 400 metres".
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

World | Monday's collision triggered huge fires aboard the two ships, which were still burning two days later, although they had been greatly reduced by a huge firefighting effort.

The detained captain of a cargo ship which struck a tanker chartered by the US military is a Russian national, the owners of the container vessel said Wednesday, as questions lingered over the cause of the rare North Sea crash. Monday's collision triggered huge fires aboard the two ships, which were still burning two days later although they had been greatly reduced by a huge firefighting effort. Investigations are continuing into how the Portuguese-flagged Solong cargo ship ran into the US-flagged Stena Immaculate which was anchored about 13 miles (20 kilometres) off the coast of the northeastern UK port of Hull. UK police on Tuesday arrested the captain of the Solong, owned by German company Ernst Russ, on suspicion of manslaughter after the crash left one crew member missing, presumed dead. "Ernst Russ confirms that the master is a Russian national," the Germany-based company said in a statement to AFP. "The rest of the crew are a mix of Russian and Filipino nationals." The detained 59-year-old "remains in our custody having been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter", Humberside police said Wednesday. Also read | North Sea collision: Man arrested on suspicion of gross negligence; no sodium cyanide containers on vessel The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday that Irish officials had found the Solong's emergency steering compass was deficient during a routine safety check last year. It was one of 10 deficiencies noted in the inspection carried out when the ship visited Dublin in July 2024. Something went "terribly wrong" for the crash to happen but that there was "no evidence" of foul play, UK undersecretary for transport Mike Kane told MPs on Tuesday. At least one tank containing some of the 220,000 barrels of jet fuel on board the Stena Immaculate was "ruptured", according to the tanker's US-based operator Crowley. That sparked concerns for the surrounding environment and wildlife. But there were "no further reports of pollution to the sea" following the "initial incident", Virginia McVea, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said Wednesday. 'Narrowly averted' Environmental campaign group Greenpeace, which had raised the alarm at the potential fallout in the wildlife rich Humber estuary, said an "environmental disaster may have been narrowly averted". "Though an incident of this scale is rare, any such accident has the potential to become an environmental disaster," said Paul Johnston from the Greenpeace Research Laboratories. Aerial AFP images on Tuesday showed a gaping gash in the middle of the 140-metre-long (460 foot) tanker, and smoke billowing from the Solong, which was reduced to an almost burnt-out wreck. There were "no visible flames on board" the tanker as of Wednesday morning, according to the Coastguard. Also read | North Sea collision between oil tanker and' cargo ship carrying cyanide injures 32 The Solong, which had been drifting southwards was "being held in a safe position off shore", McVea said, adding the fires on the cargo ship had "greatly reduced". Maritime expert Abdul Khalique told AFP such a collision between an anchored ship and another on a "routine" journey was "very rare". "It's still not known why was MV Solong unable to take action to avoid collision," said Khalique, head of the Maritime Centre at Liverpool John Moores University. The vessel missed "multiple opportunities" to change course, he said, adding the full reasons for the crash would only emerge after the investigation. The Stena Immaculate was on a short-term US military charter with Military Sealift Command, according to a spokesperson for the command, which operates civilian-crewed ships for the US Defense Department. According to data collected by website VesselFinder, the impact of the crash displaced the tanker by "more than 400 metres". Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

North Sea collision: Arrested captain of cargo ship that hit oil tanker is Russian national

36 people have been rescued after a cargo vessel collided with an oil tanker in the North Sea. One other person was taken to the hospital, but a crew member from the cargo vessel is still unaccounted for. The Coast Guard has announced that the search has been called off. Watch in for more details!

North Sea Collision: Port documents show Solong ship failed safety checks last year

A man was arrested on Tuesday (Mar 11) on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the North Sea collision, according to police.
Following reports claiming sodium cyanide containers were aboard the Portuguese cargo ship that crashed into an oil tanker, the vessel's owner confirmed on Tuesday (Mar 11) that the ship did not contain any such containers. This comes after reports of the toxic substance being aboard the ship, raising concerns about a possible hazardous spill.
According to a report by The Telegraph, the cargo ship is &ldquo;likely to sink&rdquo;.
A day earlier, the Solong container vessel collided with a US-military chartered Stena Immaculate tanker carrying jet fuel, setting both on fire off the northeast coast of England. At least 32 people were injured while one crew member of the cargo ship went missing.
In a statement, the German shipping company Ernst Russ said, &ldquo;We are able to confirm that there are no containers on board (laden) with sodium cyanide.&rdquo;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/search-ends-for-missing-crew-member-after-north-sea-collision-8841275">Search ends for missing crew member after North Sea collision</a>
&ldquo;There are four empty containers that have previously contained the hazardous chemical and these containers will continue to be monitored,&rdquo; it added.
<h2>No suggestion of &lsquo;foul play&rsquo;</h2>
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer&rsquo;s spokesperson said on Tuesday (Mar 11) that there was no &ldquo;suggestion of foul play&rdquo; in the collision.
&ldquo;I understand there doesn&rsquo;t appear to be any suggestions of foul play at this time,&rdquo; the Downing Street spokesperson said of the collision incident that happened off the northeast England coast.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-sea-collision-accident-between-oil-tanker-and-cargo-ship-injures-32-8840457">North Sea collision between oil tanker and' cargo ship carrying cyanide injures 32</a>
Meanwhile, a UK government minister told parliament that the missing crew member of the Solong cargo vessel was &ldquo;likely dead.&rdquo; The UK Coastguard halted search operations after 36 crew members from both ships were rescued.
An investigation led by US and Portuguese authorities has been launched into the accident.
<h2>Both vessels still ablaze</h2>
According to the UK Coastguard, both vessels were still on fire as of Tuesday (Mar 11), 24 hours after the collision happened in the North Sea.
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The Coastguard said that the fire on the tanker had &ldquo;greatly diminished&rdquo; while the cargo ship was &ldquo;still alight&rdquo; and was being monitored after it separated from the tanker late Monday night as it began drifting southwards.
<h2>Environmental concerns</h2>
Thick plumes of smoke were seen billowing into the air near the collision site, as the incident has raised environmental concerns about a toxic hazard.
A UK minister said on Tuesday (Mar 11) that currently there was &ldquo;no sign of pollution&rdquo; from the two ships.
&rdquo;Can I update the house to say that as it currently stands, no sign of pollution from vessels is observed at this time,&rdquo; junior minister Mike Kane told parliament.
UK Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook told Times Radio, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re obviously very alive to the potential impact on the environment.&rdquo;
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&ldquo;The good news is... it&rsquo;s not like a crude oil spill,&rdquo; founder of environmental risk advisory group ASK Consultants Ivor Vince told AFP.
&ldquo;Most of it will evaporate quite quickly, and what doesn&rsquo;t evaporate will be degraded by microorganisms quite quickly,&rdquo; he said.
(With inputs from agencies)

World | Trending | In a statement, the German shipping company Ernst Russ said, “We are able to confirm that there are no containers on board (laden) with sodium cyanide.”

A man was arrested on Tuesday (Mar 11) on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the North Sea collision, according to police. Following reports claiming sodium cyanide containers were aboard the Portuguese cargo ship that crashed into an oil tanker, the vessel's owner confirmed on Tuesday (Mar 11) that the ship did not contain any such containers. This comes after reports of the toxic substance being aboard the ship, raising concerns about a possible hazardous spill. According to a report by The Telegraph, the cargo ship is “likely to sink”. A day earlier, the Solong container vessel collided with a US-military chartered Stena Immaculate tanker carrying jet fuel, setting both on fire off the northeast coast of England. At least 32 people were injured while one crew member of the cargo ship went missing. In a statement, the German shipping company Ernst Russ said, “We are able to confirm that there are no containers on board (laden) with sodium cyanide.” Also read | Search ends for missing crew member after North Sea collision “There are four empty containers that have previously contained the hazardous chemical and these containers will continue to be monitored,” it added. No suggestion of ‘foul play’ UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said on Tuesday (Mar 11) that there was no “suggestion of foul play” in the collision. “I understand there doesn’t appear to be any suggestions of foul play at this time,” the Downing Street spokesperson said of the collision incident that happened off the northeast England coast. Also read | North Sea collision between oil tanker and' cargo ship carrying cyanide injures 32 Meanwhile, a UK government minister told parliament that the missing crew member of the Solong cargo vessel was “likely dead.” The UK Coastguard halted search operations after 36 crew members from both ships were rescued. An investigation led by US and Portuguese authorities has been launched into the accident. Both vessels still ablaze According to the UK Coastguard, both vessels were still on fire as of Tuesday (Mar 11), 24 hours after the collision happened in the North Sea. Also read | WATCH: Shocking video captures near-collision of Southwest Airlines plane with private jet The Coastguard said that the fire on the tanker had “greatly diminished” while the cargo ship was “still alight” and was being monitored after it separated from the tanker late Monday night as it began drifting southwards. Environmental concerns Thick plumes of smoke were seen billowing into the air near the collision site, as the incident has raised environmental concerns about a toxic hazard. A UK minister said on Tuesday (Mar 11) that currently there was “no sign of pollution” from the two ships. ”Can I update the house to say that as it currently stands, no sign of pollution from vessels is observed at this time,” junior minister Mike Kane told parliament. UK Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook told Times Radio, “We’re obviously very alive to the potential impact on the environment.” Also read | Medical helicopter crash in Mississippi kills pilot and two crew members “The good news is... it’s not like a crude oil spill,” founder of environmental risk advisory group ASK Consultants Ivor Vince told AFP. “Most of it will evaporate quite quickly, and what doesn’t evaporate will be degraded by microorganisms quite quickly,” he said. (With inputs from agencies)

North Sea collision: Man arrested on suspicion of gross negligence; no sodium cyanide containers on vessel

North Sea Collision: Oil tanker & cargo vessel collide in North Sea

North Sea Collision: Jet fuel spills into sea after tanker & cargo ship collision

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North Sea collision: Arrested captain of cargo ship that hit oil tanker is Russian national

North Sea Collision: Port documents show Solong ship failed safety checks last year

North Sea collision: Man arrested on suspicion of gross negligence; no sodium cyanide containers on vessel

North Sea Collision: Oil tanker & cargo vessel collide in North Sea

North Sea Collision: Jet fuel spills into sea after tanker & cargo ship collision