Latest news with #StennaImmaculate
Sky News
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Police granted 36 more hours to question Russian captain of North Sea crash ship
Police have been granted an additional 36 hours to question the captain of a container ship which crashed into a US oil tanker in the North Sea on Monday. The 59-year-old Russian man was the captain of Solong, which struck the US tanker Stenna Immaculate off the east coast of Yorkshire. The man was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter and was taken into Humberside Police custody. Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Nicholson said: "An extension has been granted by the magistrates' court to detain the man in custody for a further 36 hours. "Detectives are continuing to question him following his arrest on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision. "Extensive lines of inquiry by police into any potential criminal offences which arise from the collision between the two vessels are ongoing, whilst partner agencies continue their own assessments of the incident." Mr Nicholson added that the force is supporting the family of a Solong crew member who went missing after the crash and is presumed dead. Chief Coastguard Paddy O'Callaghan said "both vessels are presently stable", although there are "small pockets of fire" on the top deck of Solong. He said: "The Stena Immaculate remains at anchor. The Solong continues to be held in a safe location by tug. The coastguard added that damage on the vessels is being assessed, while surveillance flights continue to monitor the two ships. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the situation is "reasonably contained". "We're obviously monitoring it all of the time. In terms of the cause of it, that's yet to be determined", he said. "There's a process now in place with an arrest. But we have to get to the bottom of it. "But the immediate thing is to deal with the problem in front of us, which is the aftermath of the collision." He added: "I'd just like to acknowledge the good work of those that are actually out there doing really hard work in very difficult circumstances, which they did not expect to be in. "I pay tribute to them." Asked about calls for a COBRA meeting to assess the potential environmental, Sir Keir said: "We are absolutely monitoring this 24/7 and I've got teams doing that and assuring me of what's going on.
The Independent
11-03-2025
- General
- The Independent
North Sea collision timeline: How devastating oil tanker crash unfolded
Anchored 13 miles from the coast, the US-flagged Stenna Immaculate was set for a routine stop at the Humber Estuary port in East Yorkshire. But a 'massive' ship 'came out of the blue' on Monday morning and smashed into the 183-metre oil tanker, causing an instant fireball which was still burning 24 hours later. The Portuguese-flagged cargo ship Solong collided with the tanker laden with 35 million litres of US military jet fuel. A huge 12-hour rescue operation involving lifeboats and helicopters was launched with 36 people brought to shore. One sailor is missing, presumed dead, and another was rushed to hospital, HM coastguard said. An American sailor onboard the Stenna Immaculate told CBS News he only had seconds to react after hearing shouts to brace before the devastating impact. The 140-metre Solong did not immediately stop and drove into his ship for what seemed like 10 minutes as flames immediately erupted around him, he added. The decision was made to abandon ship and once all the crew members had been accounted for. They left the vessel on a lifeboat, with the captain being the last person to disembark, he said. The oil tanker's management firm, Crowley, has since revealed it sustained a ruptured cargo tank after it was struck, causing "multiple explosions" and jet fuel to be released into the water. Oil spill researcher Dr Alex Lukyanov, of the University of Reading, said: 'This particular incident is troubling because it appears to involve persistent oil, which breaks up slowly in water.' Downing Street said the collision and subsequent spill was 'extremely concerning', while the coastguard said it was assessing the 'likely counter-pollution response required'. The government said on Tuesday that early investigations did not indicate that the incident was caused by foul play. Dr Abdul Khalique, head of the maritime centre at Liverpool John Moores University, said a computer reconstruction of the collision suggested Solong's watch-keepers may be to blame. He said: 'Lookout by sight may have been hampered by the poor prevailing visibility at the time of accident. '[But] had the watch-keepers been maintaining a proper lookout by radar, they would have spotted this imminent collision threat and taken an action to avoid collision.' A Department for Transport spokesperson said: 'We are working closely with HM Coastguard to help support the response to the incident in the North Sea. We are grateful to all emergency personnel for their continued efforts.' Transport secretary Heidi Alexander added: 'I am hugely grateful to HM Coastguard, the RNLI and emergency services who have responded to this incident. 'They were on the scene swiftly, have helped rescue those in immediate danger and I know they will continue to work tirelessly over the coming days. My thoughts are with all those involved, especially the family of the missing crew member. 'The Maritime Accident Investigation Branch has begun a preliminary assessment, and I am working closely with the MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency) as they conduct an assessment of any counter-pollution response which may be required over the coming days.'
