A U.S.-flagged oil tanker, the Stena Immaculate, collided with a Portuguese-flagged container ship, the Solong, in the North Sea on Monday (March 10), resulting in both vessels catching fire. The collision occurred off the coast of East Yorkshire, north of England. According to the U.K. Coastguard, the emergency response is ongoing, with helicopters, lifeboats, and vessels equipped with firefighting capabilities dispatched to the scene.
The Stena Immaculate, managed by the U.S. logistics firm Crowley, is part of a fleet involved in a U.S. government program to supply military fuel. It was anchored off the coast near Hull, having traveled from Greece, when the Solong, en route from Grangemouth, Scotland, to Rotterdam, Netherlands, collided with it.
At least 32 people have been brought ashore, with some casualties reported, though their conditions remain unknown. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) confirmed that many crew members abandoned the vessels following the collision.
The cause of the collision is unclear, but Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, suggested that the Solong might have been on autopilot at the time of the crash. David McFarlane, a maritime risk expert, noted that raising an anchor can take up to an hour, which might have prevented the tanker from moving out of the way.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has sent investigators to Grimsby to gather evidence and assess the situation. The International Maritime Organization is also aware of the incident and expects a full marine casualty investigation report.
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