Over 30 injured after oil tanker, cargo ship collide off English coast
Handout photo of black smoke billowing into the air after a crash between an oil tanker and a cargo ship off the coast of East Yorkshire. PHOTO: AP
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An oil tanker and a cargo ship collided off the coast of East Yorkshire on Monday, causing a massive fire in one of the busiest shipping lanes in the region. At least 32 people were injured in the crash, prompting a large-scale rescue operation.
According to a spokesperson for the United Kingdom's Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the collision occurred off the northeastern coast of England, where both vessels were set ablaze. British media outlets reported dramatic images showing thick black smoke and towering flames emanating from the two ships.
Martyn Boyers, the chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, confirmed that 32 casualties had been brought ashore. While their exact conditions were not immediately known, Boyers mentioned that 13 casualties were transported aboard a Windcat 33 vessel, with another 19 brought in on a harbour pilot boat. 'It's too far out for us to see – about 10 miles – but we have seen the vessels bringing them in,' he stated, adding that witnesses had described a "massive fireball" following the collision.
The incident prompted the deployment of helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, lifeboats, and fire-fighting vessels by the coastguard, which responded quickly to the alarm raised at 0948 GMT. Efforts are ongoing to contain the fire and secure the area as the situation develops.
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