The collision between a container ship and a tanker could have a mild outcome for the marine environment. The cause is still unclear.
According to initial findings, the environmental damage following the ship collision off the English North Sea coast is likely to be limited. According to the British coastguard, no evidence of oil pollution on the surface of the water was discovered during three surveillance flights.
The container ship “Solong” collided with the tanker “Stena Immaculate” on Monday morning. Both ships then caught fire. The tanker was carrying 220,000 barrels (almost 35 million liters) of aviation fuel. At least one of 16 tanks was damaged in the violent collision.
An initial inspection revealed that the kerosene had evaporated, according to the US shipping company Crowley, the charterer of the “Stena Immaculate”. Immediately after the collision, fires broke out on both ships. While the fire on the tanker has now been extinguished, there are still smaller fires on the “Solong”, the coast guard said.
The container ship has now been towed to a safe position. Fears that the freighter could sink or run aground have not been confirmed. The ship is said to be stable.
Investigations into the collision are ongoing
The reasons for the accident were still unclear three days after the collision. The “Solong”, sailing under the Portuguese flag and owned by the Hamburg shipping company Ernst Russ, had rammed the tanker, which was at anchor, at full speed and pushed it around 400 meters after the collision. A video shows a huge fireball at that moment.
A total of 36 crew members from both ships were brought safely ashore. One crew member of the “Solong” is missing and the search was suspended on Monday evening. The authorities assume that the man died in the accident.
The 59-year-old captain of the “Solong” was arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter and is to remain in custody for the time being. The pre-trial detention has been extended by a further 36 hours, the police announced. The man, who is a Russian citizen, is still being questioned by the investigators.
