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The Independent
11-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
No evidence of foul play in North Sea ship collision, says minister
There is 'no evidence to suggest' foul play in the collision of two vessels in the North Sea, a minister has said. Transport minister Mike Kane told MPs 'something did go terribly wrong' to cause the crash between cargo ship the Solong and tanker the Stena Immaculate. He also said 'as it currently stands, no sign of pollution from vessels is observed at this time' and the 'working assumption' is one crew member from the container ship has died. The maritime company managing Stena Immaculate, Crowley, said the vessel was struck by Solong while anchored off the coast of Hull, causing 'multiple explosions' on board and an unknown quantity of Jet A-1 fuel to be released. Crowley said Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks when it was struck, and at least one tank 'was ruptured'. The tanker was operating as part of the US government's Tanker Security Programme, a group of commercial vessels that can be contracted to carry fuel for the military when needed. During a statement on the collision in the Commons, shadow transport minister Jerome Mayhew said 'early investigations do not point to foul play', but asked if the minister would 'commit to remain vigilant, to ensure that any indications of foul play are carefully investigated?'. He added: 'It is clear that something went terribly wrong in the handling of these two vessels. 'We will support the minister in whatever action is needed to ensure the highest standards of safety on the high seas.' Mr Kane said: 'Something did go terribly wrong, he is exactly right, and my thoughts and prayers are with the missing sailor's family, the company has been informed, and his next of kin are being informed. 'We will do everything to recover the body of the mariner. In a recent debate around emergency response services, we know that lives are lost at sea, but some succour and comfort is given to the fact that rescue services often bring people's loved ones back to them for proper funeral and burial. 'Whether there was foul play, I think is speculation. There is no evidence to suggest that at the moment.' There were fears Solong was carrying sodium cyanide, but shipping company Ernst Russ, which manages the vessel, said that was not the case. Four empty containers on board that 'previously contained the hazardous chemical' will 'continue to be monitored', it added. Conservative MP for New Forest East Sir Julian Lewis said: 'Is it not extraordinary that there is such uncertainty as to whether or not so deadly a cargo as sodium cyanide was being carried on one of the vessels? 'And given that he says tugs might have to intervene to prevent the vessel running aground on the shores of this country, has he considered that if the fire is too dangerous for the tugs to approach, a role for the Royal Navy might be necessary under those extreme circumstances?' Mr Kane replied: 'We do have the maritime skills to transport all sorts of hazardous substances if need be to our island nation. We have the skills, and we have the people, and we have the ports and we have the shipping lines to do it. 'I ask (Sir Julian) not to speculate on what was contained upon the Solong because it has not been established. There have been multiple press reports either way. Once I know for sure, I will inform the House appropriately.' The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has confirmed air quality at ground level is 'currently within normal levels for the weather conditions', and the UK Health Security Agency has advised any public health risk on shore is 'currently deemed to be very low'. Green Party MP Ellie Chowns (North Herefordshire) said 'surely the insurance industry ought to know' what cargo was carried on the Solong, as she asked about tackling pollution from the ships. She said: 'I understand this incident may have taken place in or close to two marine protected areas (MPAs), are those MPAs affected? What is the plan for cleaning them up? 'He mentioned that pollution measures are in waiting but not implemented because the priority is reducing fire, but the Stena Immaculate, I understand, is no longer burning, and that is the one with the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of fuel oil. What measures are being taken to tackle the pollution now because speed is of the essence?' Mr Kane replied: 'We've got assets to measure the pollution in place now, those assets are being deployed where it's safe to deploy them, they will be deployed, but the priority still remains to get the fire out on the Solong.'
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
No evidence of foul play in North Sea ship collision, says minister
There is 'no evidence to suggest' foul play in the collision of two vessels in the North Sea, a minister has said. Transport minister Mike Kane told MPs 'something did go terribly wrong' to cause the crash between cargo ship the Solong and tanker the Stena Immaculate. He also said 'as it currently stands, no sign of pollution from vessels is observed at this time' and the 'working assumption' is one crew member from the container ship has died. The maritime company managing Stena Immaculate, Crowley, said the vessel was struck by Solong while anchored off the coast of Hull, causing 'multiple explosions' on board and an unknown quantity of Jet A-1 fuel to be released. Crowley said Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks when it was struck, and at least one tank 'was ruptured'. The tanker was operating as part of the US government's Tanker Security Programme, a group of commercial vessels that can be contracted to carry fuel for the military when needed. During a statement on the collision in the Commons, shadow transport minister Jerome Mayhew said 'early investigations do not point to foul play', but asked if the minister would 'commit to remain vigilant, to ensure that any indications of foul play are carefully investigated?'. He added: 'It is clear that something went terribly wrong in the handling of these two vessels. 'We will support the minister in whatever action is needed to ensure the highest standards of safety on the high seas.' Mr Kane said: 'Something did go terribly wrong, he is exactly right, and my thoughts and prayers are with the missing sailor's family, the company has been informed, and his next of kin are being informed. 'We will do everything to recover the body of the mariner. In a recent debate around emergency response services, we know that lives are lost at sea, but some succour and comfort is given to the fact that rescue services often bring people's loved ones back to them for proper funeral and burial. 'Whether there was foul play, I think is speculation. There is no evidence to suggest that at the moment.' There were fears Solong was carrying sodium cyanide, but shipping company Ernst Russ, which manages the vessel, said that was not the case. Four empty containers on board that 'previously contained the hazardous chemical' will 'continue to be monitored', it added. Conservative MP for New Forest East Sir Julian Lewis said: 'Is it not extraordinary that there is such uncertainty as to whether or not so deadly a cargo as sodium cyanide was being carried on one of the vessels? 'And given that he says tugs might have to intervene to prevent the vessel running aground on the shores of this country, has he considered that if the fire is too dangerous for the tugs to approach, a role for the Royal Navy might be necessary under those extreme circumstances?' Mr Kane replied: 'We do have the maritime skills to transport all sorts of hazardous substances if need be to our island nation. We have the skills, and we have the people, and we have the ports and we have the shipping lines to do it. 'I ask (Sir Julian) not to speculate on what was contained upon the Solong because it has not been established. There have been multiple press reports either way. Once I know for sure, I will inform the House appropriately.' The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has confirmed air quality at ground level is 'currently within normal levels for the weather conditions', and the UK Health Security Agency has advised any public health risk on shore is 'currently deemed to be very low'. Green Party MP Ellie Chowns (North Herefordshire) said 'surely the insurance industry ought to know' what cargo was carried on the Solong, as she asked about tackling pollution from the ships. She said: 'I understand this incident may have taken place in or close to two marine protected areas (MPAs), are those MPAs affected? What is the plan for cleaning them up? 'He mentioned that pollution measures are in waiting but not implemented because the priority is reducing fire, but the Stena Immaculate, I understand, is no longer burning, and that is the one with the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of fuel oil. What measures are being taken to tackle the pollution now because speed is of the essence?' Mr Kane replied: 'We've got assets to measure the pollution in place now, those assets are being deployed where it's safe to deploy them, they will be deployed, but the priority still remains to get the fire out on the Solong.'
The Independent
11-03-2025
- General
- The Independent
No containers of sodium cyanide on North Sea crash vessel, owner says
There are no containers of sodium cyanide onboard a ship involved in a crash in the North Sea, its owner said. Shipping company Ernst Russ said Solong has empty containers previously used to transport the 'hazardous chemical'. There were fears the Portuguese vessel was carrying sodium cyanide when it collided with tanker Stena Immaculate on Monday morning. Ernst Russ said in a statement: 'We are able to confirm that there are no containers onboard ladened with sodium cyanide, as has been misreported. 'There are four empty containers that have previously contained the hazardous chemical, and these containers will continue to be monitored.' Transport minister Mike Kane said the fire on Stena Immaculate 'appears to be extinguished', but Solong 'continues to burn'. He told MPs: 'Although they became attached to each other during the collision, the Solong broke free of the Stena Immaculate late last night and began drifting southwards. ' Modelling suggests that should the Solong remain afloat, it'll remain clear of land for the next few hours. 'The assessment of His Majesty's Coastguard is, however, that it is unlikely the vessel will remain afloat. 'Tugboats are in the vicinity to ensure that the Solong remains away from the coast and to respond as the situation develops.' Efforts to find a missing crew member from Salong ended on Monday night after 'an extensive search'. Mr Kane said the Government's 'working assumption' is one crew member from Solong has died, after a search and rescue operation was ended on Monday night when 'the chances of their survivalhad unfortunately significantly diminished'. He added: 'Our thoughts are with the sailor's loved ones at this time.' The maritime company managing Stena Immaculate, Crowley, said the vessel was struck by Solong while anchored off the coast of Hull, causing 'multiple explosions' on board and an unknown quantity of Jet A-1 fuel to be released. Crowley said Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks when it was struck. At least one tank 'was ruptured', according to the company. The tanker was operating as part of the US government's Tanker Security Programme, a group of commercial vessels that can be contracted to carry fuel for the military when needed. It had been anchored while waiting for a berth to become available at the Port of Killingholme, on the River Humber, Crowley said. CBS News in the US reported that an American man who said he was among the crew on Stena Immaculate described how Solong 'came from out of the blue', and it appeared no-one was on its bridge when the crash happened. Ship tracking website VesselFinder shows the tanker had departed from a port in the Peloponnese region of Greece and was heading towards Hull, while Solong was sailing to Rotterdam, the Netherlands. His Majesty's Coastguard said in a statement that 'safety vessels and other vessels with firefighting capabilities are still on scene with more arriving today'. It went on: 'An exclusion zone of 1km radius has been put in place around both vessels. 'The Counter Pollution and Salvage Team is assessing the situation and is developing a plan ready for implementation as soon as the situation allows.' The statement added that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has confirmed that air quality at ground level is 'currently within normal levels for the weather conditions', and the UK Health Security Agency has advised that any public health risk on shore is 'currently deemed to be very low'. A Department for Transport spokesperson said Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander will meet Maritime and Coastguard Agency chief executive Virginia McVea later on Tuesday to discuss the latest situation and response. Helen Jay, the National Trust's senior national consultant for coast said teams were keeping a lookout along the north-east and east of England coastline for visible signs of pollution affecting seabirds, sea life and the coast itself. She said: 'Any pollution incident can have a devastating impact on our wildlife and this is a vital time for many migratory birds as they return to our shores for the breeding season such as puffins, terns and gannets as well as marine life including seals, dolphins, fish and harbour porpoise.' Mike Childs, head of science, policy and research at Friends of the Earth, said: 'With many designated areas for environmental protection around the coastline, a spill from the container ship or the tanker could be devasting for this much-loved wildlife. 'While tanker accidents are rare around the British coast the potential harm can be enormous. The sooner we make the transition to clean energy the better, for the health of us all and the planet.'
The Independent
11-03-2025
- General
- The Independent
Fires ‘still raging' after vessels collide in North Sea
Fires aboard a cargo ship and a tanker which collided in the North Sea are 'still raging', a minister said. Matthew Pennycook said Coastguard aircraft were monitoring the site of the incident off the East Yorkshire coast. A search for a missing crew member from the cargo ship was called off on Monday night. HM Coastguard said efforts to find the person from the Solong container ship had ended after 'an extensive search', following the ship's collision with the Stena Immaculate tanker on Monday morning. The maritime company managing the Stena Immaculate, Crowley, said the vessel was struck by the Solong while anchored off the coast of Hull, causing 'multiple explosions' on board and Jet A-1 fuel it was carrying to be released. Crowley said it was unclear how much fuel may have been released, but that Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks when it was struck. At least one tank 'was ruptured', according to the company. The tanker was operating as part of the US government's Tanker Security Programme, a group of commercial vessels that can be contracted to carry fuel for the military when needed. It had been anchored while it waited for a berth to become available at the Port of Killingholme, on the River Humber, Crowley said. It is understood the crew immediately began firefighting efforts when the crash happened but were forced to abandon the vessel because of multiple explosions. Ship tracking website Vesselfinder shows the tanker had departed from a port in the Peloponnese region of Greece and was heading towards Hull, while the Solong was sailing to Rotterdam, the Netherlands. According to reports, the Solong was carrying sodium cyanide, which can produce harmful gas when combined with water, but it was unclear if there had been any leak. Mr Pennycook told Times Radio: 'We are working with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to assess the impact on water pollution. 'The fire is obviously still raging.' He added: 'The Maritime and Coastguard Agency are well equipped to contain and disperse any oil spills. 'We don't think air quality impacts are outside of normal levels, but we will keep the situation obviously under review. 'It's a fast-moving and dynamic situation, but all the necessary services are on the ground, both investigating and taking the immediate steps required.' The BBC reported that Boskalis, the appointed salvage operator for Stena Immaculate, said it would be 'premature' to say the fire on the tanker is out. The company added it hopes to get close enough to the vessel later on Tuesday to take temperature readings. Melanie Onn, Labour MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it would be 'very worrying' if the Solong was carrying sodium cyanide. Lifeboats and a coastguard helicopter were called to the collision in the Humber Estuary just before 10am on Monday. One RNLI crew member told The Times the fog was so thick during the initial search and rescue crews could 'not see a thing'. It is understood the US and Portugal will lead investigations into the incident. Hugo Tagholm, executive director of charity Oceana UK, said: 'This incident is a shocking reminder of the ferocious polluting power of oil. 'We are seeing burning slicks, the threat of heavy fuel oil, and toxic chemicals leaking in or near not one but two marine protected areas (MPAs). 'Places that should be safe havens for wildlife.' Mr Tagholm said the Southern North Sea and Holderness MPAs protect declining harbour porpoises and rich seafloor habitats, which are both highly sensitive to toxic spills. He added: 'It is also deeply concerning that the cargo vessel is reportedly carrying sodium cyanide, a severely toxic chemical that can devastate marine wildlife if in high enough concentrations. 'For now, we don't know how much, if any, reached the water but we have sent an Oceana team to the North East to monitor developments.' Local wildlife trusts have warned of potentially 'devastating' impacts of pollution on habitats and species in the area, including threatened seabird colonies, grey seals, harbour porpoises, fish, and minke whales. Nature-rich sites such as the Humber Estuary, where conservationists have been restoring seagrass and oysters, and Flamborough Cliffs could be hit, they warned. Martin Slater, director of operations at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust said East Yorkshire's coast was home to significant colonies of seabirds including puffins, razorbills, gannets and kittiwakes, which were gathering offshore ahead of the nesting season, as well as wintering waders and migrant birds. 'We're very worried indeed about the threat to these birds,' he added. He went on: 'If pollution spillage enters the Humber, this could potentially be devastating for the wildlife of the estuary, including important fish stocks and tens of thousands of overwintering and migrating birds who use the mud flats.' There are also concerns about the Silver Pit Marine Conservation Zone further offshore from Lincolnshire's coast, which is 'a unique habitat for fish where seabirds and cetaceans feed'. Dr Seyedvahid Vakili, maritime expert at the University of Southampton, said: 'The time required to contain and clean up sodium cyanide spills depends on factors such as the extent of the spill, weather conditions and the effectiveness of the response measures. 'Given the chemical's high toxicity, specialised hazardous material teams are needed for clean-up operations. While minor spills might be addressed within days, larger incidents can take weeks or longer to fully remediate. 'A similar accident, the Sanchi oil tanker disaster (in the East China Sea in 2018) occurred due to poor visibility and navigational failure while waiting in an anchorage zone. 'The ship, carrying 136,000 tonnes of condensate oil, burned for over a week, releasing toxic fumes and oil slicks and causing severe ecological damage.'
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fires ‘still raging' after vessels collide in North Sea
Fires aboard a cargo ship and a tanker which collided in the North Sea are 'still raging', a minister said. Matthew Pennycook said Coastguard aircraft were monitoring the site of the incident off the East Yorkshire coast. A search for a missing crew member from the cargo ship was called off on Monday night. HM Coastguard said efforts to find the person from the Solong container ship had ended after 'an extensive search', following the ship's collision with the Stena Immaculate tanker on Monday morning. The maritime company managing the Stena Immaculate, Crowley, said the vessel was struck by the Solong while anchored off the coast of Hull, causing 'multiple explosions' on board and Jet A-1 fuel it was carrying to be released. Crowley said it was unclear how much fuel may have been released, but that Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks when it was struck. At least one tank 'was ruptured', according to the company. The tanker was operating as part of the US government's Tanker Security Programme, a group of commercial vessels that can be contracted to carry fuel for the military when needed. It had been anchored while it waited for a berth to become available at the Port of Killingholme, on the River Humber, Crowley said. Ship tracking website Vesselfinder shows the tanker had departed from a port in the Peloponnese region of Greece and was heading towards Hull, while the Solong was sailing to Rotterdam, the Netherlands. According to reports, the Solong was carrying sodium cyanide, which can produce harmful gas when combined with water, but it was unclear if there had been any leak. Mr Pennycook told Times Radio: 'We are working with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to assess the impact on water pollution. 'The fire is obviously still raging.' He added: 'The Maritime and Coastguard Agency are well equipped to contain and disperse any oil spills. 'We don't think air quality impacts are outside of normal levels, but we will keep the situation obviously under review. 'It's a fast-moving and dynamic situation, but all the necessary services are on the ground, both investigating and taking the immediate steps required.' Melanie Onn, Labour MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it would be 'very worrying' if the Solong was carrying sodium cyanide. Lifeboats and a coastguard helicopter were called to the collision in the Humber Estuary just before 10am on Monday. One RNLI crew member told The Times the fog was so thick during the initial search and rescue crews could 'not see a thing'. It is understood the US and Portugal will lead investigations into the incident. Dr Alex Lukyanov, researcher on advanced mathematical models of oil spills from the University of Reading, said: 'Oil spills like the one in the North Sea are affected by multiple factors. 'The size of the spill, weather conditions, sea currents, water waves, wind patterns, and the type of oil involved all play crucial roles in determining environmental outcomes. 'This particular incident is troubling because it appears to involve persistent oil, which breaks up slowly in water.' He added: 'The environmental toll could be severe.' Crowley vice president Cal Hayden said: 'As with all our operations, Crowley's priority is to protect the safety of mariners and the environment. 'We greatly appreciate the quick actions and support of the UK authorities, rescue workers and others to today's incident and remain committed to working with them on the continued response efforts.'
