Following the collision between the German container ship “Solong” and the tanker “Stena Immaculate” near Hull, one crew member is still missing.
According to the coastguard, it is a crew member of the container freighter. All other 13 crew members of the “Solong” (804 TEU, built in 2005) were safely evacuated, as the ship’s owner, the Hamburg-based ship investment company Ernst Russ, announced yesterday via an agency. The search for the missing seaman was initially interrupted in the evening, but is to be continued, according to reports.
According to the Swedish owner Stena Bulk, all of the seamen from the chemical tanker “Stena Immaculate” (49,729 tdw, built in 2017) were rescued. In total, ships brought 36 rescued people ashore.
The tanker was lying in the roadstead off the Humber estuary at the time of the collision with the “Solong” yesterday morning, Stena announced. The container ship appeared out of nowhere and collided with the Stena Immaculate at 16 knots, a survivor told the BBC television station.
As a result of the collision, a cargo tank on the “Stena Immaculate” was damaged, causing a leak of loaded kerosene (Jet A1 Fuel). Both ships caught fire shortly afterwards. The fire has not yet been contained. The Ernst Russ ship is said to have been transporting dangerous goods containers, among other things.
The German Central Command for Maritime Emergencies has mobilized the multi-purpose vessel “Mellum” to assist the Humber Coastguard in combating the accident; it is expected to arrive on site at midday today (Tuesday), according to the authorities in Cuxhaven.
A DO 228 sensor aircraft is on standby and is expected to take off for the United Kingdom on Tuesday morning if necessary. With powerful cameras and sensors, it could help to get an overview of the situation and find pollutants in the water.
The support is being provided as part of the Convention on Cooperation in Combating Pollution of the North Sea by Oil and Other Harmful Substances (“Bonn Convention”). In this agreement, ten countries – including Germany – and the European Union have agreed to provide mutual assistance in the event of pollution accidents in the North Sea.
The “Solong” is chartered by the Dutch carrier Samskip and operates a shuttle service between Rotterdam and Grangemouth and Hull. The ship has liability insurance with the Norwegian P&I Club Skuld.
The “Stena Immaculate” – insured by Steamship Mutual P&I – is operated and chartered by the US company Crowley as a bareboat charterer under the US flag. The tanker carries cargoes on behalf of the US government as well as private customers. (mph)
