Almost a year ago, the “Solong” collided with a tanker in the North Sea and one person died in the accident. The captain has now been convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
In March 2025, a serious shipping accident occurred off the British coast. The container ship “Solong” (804 TEU, built in 2005) collided with the chemical tanker “Stena Immaculate” (49,729 dwt, built in 2017). Both ships were severely damaged. One crew member, 38-year-old Mark Angelo Pernia, was lost overboard in the accident and has since died.
Vladimir Motin, captain of the “Solong”, was arrested shortly after the collision on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter. According to a BBC report, it has now emerged at the trial at the Old Bailey in London that Motin was not keeping a proper lookout at the time of the accident. He had not used all available means to assess the risk of collision, let alone initiate an evasive maneuver. According to the court’s verdict, Pernia’s death was “completely avoidable”.
The defense had previously argued that although Motin was to blame for the collision, his actions did not constitute negligent homicide. Motin had also initially lied about the course of the accident in order to be able to return to Russia. The “most likely explanation” for the collision was therefore that a ship had not noticed the ship in front. Motin was sentenced to six years in prison.
“Stena Immaculate” is being repaired
The 183-metre-long “Stena Immaculate” was sailing under the US flag and was en route from Greece to the port of Killingholme. The ship is owned by the Swedish company Stena. The tanker was reportedly carrying aviation fuel for the American military, and around 17,000 barrels of the cargo are said to have burned or vaporized in the accident. The “Stena Immaculate” is being repaired at the Desan Shipyard in Turkey and is now sailing under the flag of Malta.
The “Solong”, registered under the flag of Portugal, was en route to Rotterdam. The container ship is owned by the Hamburg-based shipping company Ernst Russ. The ship burned out completely in the accident and initially had to be towed to the Scottish port of Aberdeen. According to an expert opinion, it was considered a total loss.
