One person missing, dozens rescued after oil tanker and cargo vessel collide in North Sea

[EnterpriseSovereign]

One person missing, dozens rescued after oil tanker and cargo vessel collide in North Sea

One person is missing from container ship Solong, following its collision with an oil tanker in the North Sea, its owner said.

Shipping firm Ernst Russ said search efforts were ongoing to find the missing crew member and that the rest of those on board the cargo ship had been brought safely ashore.

In a statement, the company said: "Both vessels have sustained significant damage in the impact of the collision and the subsequent fire.

"13 of the 14 Solong crew members have been brought safely to shore. Efforts to locate the missing crew member are ongoing."

The company that runs the oil tanker, the Stena Immaculate, earlier confirmed that all of its crew were safe and accounted for.

East Midlands Ambulance Service said: "A total of 36 patients were assessed on scene by our ambulance crews and none required transporting to hospital.”

The Stena Immaculate was at anchor when the Portuguese-registered container ship Solong collided with it just before 10am, according to ship tracking tool Vesselfinder.

Crowley, which manages the Stena Immaculate, confirmed the tanker was carrying jet fuel for the US military.

It said the oil tanker suffered a ruptured cargo tank after it was struck by the container ship, causing “multiple explosions onboard” and the jet fuel to be released into the water.

"The immaculate crew abandoned the vessel following multiple explosions on board," the statement said.

"Crowley immediately initiated its emergency vessel response plan and is actively working with public agencies to contain the fire and secure the vessel."

They said all members of their crew were safe and accounted for.

Downing Street said it was an "extremely concerning situation" and thanked emergency services for their "rapid response".

"We thank the emergency services for their rapid response. I understand the Department for Transport is working closely with the coastguard to help support the response to the incident," the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.

Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, said he had been told there was “a massive fireball”.

“They must have sent a mayday out – luckily there was a crew transfer vessel out there already," he said.

He had earlier said that 13 casualties were initially brought in on a Windcat 33 vessel, followed by another 10 on a harbour pilot boat, and another nine on a pilot vessel.

The potential for an oil spill has sparked environmental concerns.

Martin Slater, director of operations at the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said jet fuel leaking into the humber could be "devastating for the wildlife of the estuary", including important fish stocks and tens of thousands of migrating birds.

The American-flagged tanker had been travelling from Greece to the Port of Immingham in Lincolnshire.

The container ship is believed to have been travelling from the Grangemouth Docks down the east coast of England before the incident, according MyShipTracking website.

A statement from the HM Coastguard said: "HM Coastguard is currently co-ordinating the emergency response to reports of a collision between a tanker and cargo vessel off the coast of East Yorkshire.

"The alarm was raised at 9.48am.

"A Coastguard Rescue Helicopter from Humberside was called, alongside lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Mablethorpe and Cleethorpes, an HM Coastguard fixed wing aircraft, and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability."

Samskip, the owner of the cargo on board the Salong, said they were assessing the potential impact on shipments and will provide updates as more information becomes available.

A spokesperson for the Marine Accident Investigation Branch said: “The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has deployed a team to Grimsby following the collision of the Portuguese registered container ship Solong and the US registered oil tanker Stena Immaculate which collided in the North Sea this morning.

"Our team of inspectors and support staff are gathering evidence and undertaking a preliminary assessment of the accident to determine our next steps.”

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “I’m concerned to hear of the collision between two vessels in the North Sea this morning and am liaising with officials and HM Coastguard as the situation develops.

“I want to thank all emergency service workers involved for their continued efforts in responding to the incident.”