Latest news with #AlastairSmith
Times of Oman
12-03-2025
- Health
- Times of Oman
Portuguese cargo ship carrying toxic chemicals collides with US Military oil tanker off UK coast
London : A collision occurred off the northeast coast of England on Monday when a Portuguese container ship, the Solong, smashed into a US military-chartered oil tanker, the Stena Immaculate, CNN reported. The incident sparked a massive fire, a daring rescue operation, and concerns about potential environmental damage. According to maritime intelligence company Lloyd's List, the Solong was carrying sodium cyanide, a highly toxic chemical. The collision occurred around 10 am local time, approximately 10 miles off the English coastline in the North Sea, as per the ship tracking tool VesselFinder. All but one of the 14 crew members on board the Solong were brought safely to shore, the vessel's owner, Ernst Russ, confirmed the rescue effort in a statement Monday evening, as per CNN. By Monday night local time, an "extensive" search for the missing crew member had ended, the British coast guard said. The missing person had not been found. Ernst Russ also said in its statement that both vessels "sustained significant damage in the impact of the collision and the subsequent fire." A US logistics firm, Crowley, which manages the Stena Immaculate, confirmed that all crew members on board the Stena Immaculate are safe after a collision with the Solong. According to Alastair Smith, Head of Operations for Lincolnshire at East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, the incident resulted in 36 people being treated by ambulance services after reaching the shore, The Solong was carrying a hazardous cargo, including "an unknown quantity of alcohol and 15 containers of highly toxic sodium cyanide," Lloyd's List reported. It is unclear whether the cyanide has entered the water. Sodium cyanide, according to the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, releases a highly toxic hydrogen cyanide gas that interferes with the body's ability to use oxygen. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), sodium cyanide can also turn into hydrogen cyanide on contact with water. Eyewitness videos captured the intensity of the incident, showing thick black smoke and flames engulfing at least one of the vessels. The Stena Immaculate was carrying military jet fuel and marine diesel on its way to Killingholme, England, according to a spokesperson for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), an agency of the US Department of Defense. The tanker was on a long-term charter with DLA Energy, which manages and distributes petroleum and fuel products. It was scheduled to re-supply fuel to Killingholme before reloading and delivering fuel to locations in the Mediterranean, the spokesperson said. The Solong left the Scottish port of Grangemouth on Sunday evening and was headed for Rotterdam, the Netherlands, at the time of the collision, according to Vessel Finder.
Saudi Gazette
11-03-2025
- Health
- Saudi Gazette
Cargo vessel that collided with US military tanker was carrying sodium cyanide
LONDON — A cargo ship that smashed into a US military chartered oil tanker off the northeast coast of England on Monday was carrying sodium cyanide, according to the maritime intelligence company and shipping journal Lloyd's List. The collision sparked a huge fire, a dramatic rescue effort and fears of environmental damage. Just before 10 a.m. local time (6 a.m. ET), a Portuguese-flagged container ship called the Solong careered into the oil tanker, called the Stena Immaculate, which was at anchor in the North Sea about 10 miles off the English coastline, according to the ship tracking tool VesselFinder. All but one of the 14 crew members on board the Solong were brought safely to shore, the vessel's owner Ernst Russ said in a statement Monday evening. By Monday night local time, an 'extensive' search for the missing crew member had ended, the British coast guard said. The missing person had not been found. Ernst Russ also said in its statement that both vessels 'sustained significant damage in the impact of the collision and the subsequent fire.' Crowley, a US logistics firm that manages the Stena Immaculate, confirmed that all members of its crew were safe. A total of 36 patients were treated by ambulance services after reaching the shore, according to Alastair Smith, Head of Operations for Lincolnshire at East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust. The Solong was carrying 'an unknown quantity of alcohol and 15 containers of sodium cyanide,' Lloyd's List reported. It is unclear whether the cyanide has entered the water. Sodium cyanide, according to the US' National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, releases a highly toxic hydrogen cyanide gas that interferes with the body's ability to use oxygen. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), sodium cyanide can also turn into hydrogen cyanide on contact with water. Videos of the incident showed black plumes of smoke billowing into the sky and at least one of the vessels engulfed by flames. The Stena Immaculate was carrying military jet fuel and marine diesel on its way to Killingholme, England, according to a spokesperson for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), an agency of the US' Department of Defense. The tanker was on a long-term charter with DLA Energy, which manages and distributes petroleum and fuel products. It was scheduled to re-supply fuel to Killingholme before reloading and delivering fuel to locations in the Mediterranean, the spokesperson said. The Solong left the Scottish port of Grangemouth on Sunday evening and was headed for Rotterdam, the Netherlands, at the time of the collision, according to VesselFinder. Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the nearby Port of Grimsby East, told CNN earlier Monday that he had seen people being brought ashore and that ambulances had been waiting to receive them. It was not immediately clear how or why the collision occurred. 'It seems a mystery, really, because all the vessels now have very highly sophisticated technical equipment to plot courses and to look at any obstacles or anything they've got to avoid,' Boyers said. 'It's difficult to actually suggest what went on, other than the fact it should never have happened,' he added. The port chief said the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) and the Marine and Coastguard Agency (MCA) would likely investigate what went wrong. 'How did that vessel continue plowing into the berth vessel? There must have been some warning signs. They must have been able to detect it on the radar,' Boyers said to CNN. Crowley said there were 'multiple explosions on board' after the Stena Immaculate was struck by the Solong, adding that it had 'sustained a ruptured cargo tank containing Jet-A1 fuel' due to the collision. It had anchored off the English coast after leaving the Greek port of Agioi Theodoroi last month, according to VesselFinder. A flurry of high-speed ships and tugboats were seen moving toward the site of the collision at the time of the coastguard's rescue operation, real-time data from VesselFinder showed. Experts say jet fuel spills tend to impact the environment less than crude oil spills. Bacteria can degrade the jet fuel molecules more quickly, leading to faster biodegradation, Mark Sephton, Professor of Organic Geochemistry at Imperial College London said. 'Whilst the images look worrying, from the perspective of the impact to the aquatic environment it's less of a concern than if this had been crude oil because most of the jet fuel will evaporate very quickly,' Dr Mark Hartl, a marine ecotoxicologist from the Centre for Marine Biodiversity & Biotechnology at Heriot-Watt University, added. But Greenpeace UK said in a statement that it had 'serious concerns' that the cargo onboard the vessels, as well as the fuel inside them, could pose a threat to marine life. 'As more information emerges about what the ships were carrying, we are extremely concerned about the multiple toxic hazards these chemicals could pose to marine life. The jet fuel that entered the water close to a breeding ground for harbor porpoises is toxic to fish and other sea creatures,' Dr. Paul Johnston, a senior scientist at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories at Exeter University, said. Johnston urged authorities to put measures in place to contain the release of any toxic substances from the vessels. 'We must hope an environmental disaster can be averted,' he said. — CNN
Sky News
10-03-2025
- Sky News
Oil tanker and cargo ship on fire after colliding in North Sea off coast of East Yorkshire
An oil tanker and cargo ship are both on fire after colliding in the North Sea off the coast of East Yorkshire, the RNLI has said. The lifeboat service mobilised multiple crews to the scene after the crash was reported just before 9.50am. A number of people abandoned the vessels following the collision around 13 miles from the coast. All those from oil tanker Stena Immaculate are said to be "safe and fully accounted for", however jet fuel has been released into the sea, according to the firm that manages the vessel. Meanwhile, cargo ship Solong was reportedly carrying 15 containers of sodium cyanide and an unknown quantity of alcohol, a Lloyd's List Intelligence casualty report said, according to news agency Reuters. Sky News understands there is a five-mile air and sea exclusion zone around the location of the incident, which may be widened to 10 miles if later required. Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, earlier reported dozens of casualties had been brought ashore amid reports of a "massive fireball". Alastair Smith, head of operations for Lincolnshire at East Midlands Ambulance Service, later said: "A total of 36 patients were assessed on scene by our ambulance crews and none required transporting to hospital." Two maritime security sources told Reuters there was "no indication" of any malicious activity or other actors involved in the incident. 'Multiple explosions onboard' US logistics group Crowley, which manages oil tanker Stena Immaculate, confirmed the vessel had released some jet fuel after sustaining a ruptured cargo tank. In a statement, Crowley said: "The Stena Immaculate sustained a ruptured cargo tank containing Jet-A1 fuel due to the allision (when a moving ship hits a stationary object). "A fire occurred as a result of the allision, and fuel was reported released. The Stena Immaculate crew abandoned the vessel following multiple explosions onboard. "All Crowley mariners are safe and fully accounted for." The firm said it initiated its emergency vessel response plan and is "actively working with public agencies to contain the fire and secure the vessel". Crowley added: "Our first priority is the safety of the people and environment. We will provide more updates as information becomes available." Downing Street 'monitoring situation' The prime minister's official spokesman said it was an "extremely concerning situation". He said: "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. "We're obviously monitoring the situation, we'll continue to coordinate the response and we're grateful to emergency personnel for their continued efforts." Meanwhile, Hull City Council leader Mike Ross has called for the UK government to set out a rapid response plan in response to the events. Coastguard's emergency message HM Coastguard said earlier it was coordinating the emergency response. A coastguard helicopter took off from Humberside and headed to the scene alongside lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Maplethorpe and Cleethorpes. Coastguard fixed-wing aircraft and nearby vessels with firefighting capability have also been involved in the operation. The message broadcast by the Coastguard after the incident warned other ships to stay away from the area. In audio shared on social media, the Coastguard can be heard warning Solong "has collided" with Stena Immaculate. "Both vessels are abandoning," the message continued. "Vessels who have firefighting equipment or can assist with search and rescue, contact Humber Coastguard. "Stena is carrying Jet-A1 fuel, which is on fire and in the water. Vessels - remain at safe distance." East Midlands Ambulance Service said it received a call at 11.28am to North Quay in the Lincolnshire port town of Grimsby. It added in a statement: "We've sent multiple resources, including our hazardous area response team, and we are currently still on scene." 'Inspectors are gathering evidence' Meanwhile, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has sent investigators to the town. A spokesperson said: "Our team of inspectors and support staff are gathering evidence and undertaking a preliminary assessment of the accident to determine our next steps." The oil tanker is named Stena Immaculate and is sailing under a US flag, while the cargo ship is named Solong and is Portuguese-flagged, according to The Solong had been due to travel to Rotterdam in the Netherlands after departing from Grangemouth in Scotland this morning, shows. Moving images on the tracking site suggest the oil tanker had remained stationary as the Solong headed straight towards it before the collision. It is believed the Stena Immaculate, which was travelling from Greece to the UK, was anchored at the time. David McFarlane, director Maritime Risk and Safety Consultants, told Sky News it can take up to an hour to raise an anchor - meaning the tanker might not have had time to get out of the way. It comes as Mr Boyers said the container ship may have been on autopilot at the time of the crash. "Autopilot just steers a course, they don't deviate, there's no bend in the sea," he added. The American Maritime Officers union has said the tanker was part of a programme to have 10 ships capable of transporting oil for the US army in "times of need". The group said the Stena Immaculate was reflagged in August 2023 as part of a programme by the US Department of Defence and the US Maritime Administration. They would continue commercial operations but could be chartered by the US government on a short-term basis. The Stena Immaculate was on a short-term charter to the US navy's Military Sealift Command at the time of the incident, a US military spokesperson confirmed. A defence official later said it was carrying fuel contracted by Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) on behalf of the US Department of Defense for navy use. 'Too early to assess environmental damage' Meanwhile, visibility in the area had been poor before the collision this morning, according to the Met Office. "Areas of fog and low cloud lifting as winds increase through the morning, with some warm, if rather hazy sunny spells expected in places for a time," it said this morning. "Thicker cloud and a little rain moving southwards during the afternoon. Maximum temperature 14C." Greenpeace UK said the high speed of the collision and the footage of the aftermath "are cause for great concern". A spokesperson for the charity said: "At this stage, it's too early to assess the extent of any environmental damage." Scientists said the environmental impact might be less severe than with a spill of heavier crude oil. Mark Sephton, professor of organic geochemistry at Imperial College London, said jet fuel biodegrades more quickly than crude oil, and warmer temperatures also speeds biodegradation. "In the end, it all depends on the rate of introduction of fuel and the rate of destruction by bacteria," he said. "Let's hope the latter wins out." What is sodium cyanide? The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) describes sodium cyanide as a white crystal-like solid with a faint almond odour. It is used in industry for metal cleaning, plating and extraction, and photography. It can also be used to make other chemicals. UKHSA said exposure to cyanide salts can cause headache, nausea, dizziness, nervousness, confusion, changes in heart rate and drowsiness. They can also cause a loss of consciousness, fitting, vomiting and low blood pressure. In the most serious cases, there can be heart and breathing problems, or even death.
