North Sea tanker collision

[Steelman]

There's been a collision between a container ship and an oil tanker out in the North Sea off the Humber estuary. The crew of the oil tanker (which was actually carrying aviation fuel) are all accounted for but the container ship there's been little news on. Live ships map makes for interesting viewing at the moment, with plenty of tugs around the two ships involved including one called "Superman". Nothing has been said about the crew of the container ship.

 

[DarloRich]

terrible news - I hope the oil spillage and debris don't impact on a sensitive environmental area on the east coast

 

[Steelman]

I'm more concerned with the safety of the crew if I'm being honest.

 

[DarloRich]

I'm more concerned with the safety of the crew if I'm being honest.

there are about 17 lifeboats and helicopters on site. I assumed they would all be rescued. BBC have just said that all of the tanker are are safe.

 

[thejuggler]

Not good. Thankfully the area always has dozens of vessels so can be on scene quickly, but the fire could have caused issues in getting close to the scene,

However serious questions to be asked. Is anchoring in a known busy shipping lane permitted? How does a modern ship with all radar AIS etc continue at 16 knots and hit a 50,000 tonne tanker which has been anchored on the planned route for over 12 hours?

 

[Statto]

From sky news

Autopilot could have led to crash, port chief says​

Autopilot could have led to the crash between the container and the tanker in the North Sea, a port chief has told Sky News.
In our 2.12pm post, we brought you some comments from Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, as he spoke to Kamali Melbourne.
During the interview, he was asked about tracking software which showed the Solong heading for the seemingly stationary Stena Immaculate before the collision, raising questions of what took place.
He said it might have been a case of autopilot: "One of them was at anchor and the other would have set a course.
"They have a thing called autopilot, and that's what I would suspect has been the issue.
"If it's been put on autopilot and there's no one on the bridge, which could happen, then it'd just go straight on.
"Autopilot just steers a course, they don't deviate, there's no bend in the sea.
"They just go straight for miles, hundreds of miles, and it would've gone in a straight direction.
"It's difficult to understand what happened, or why it happened."
He added there would've been alarms on the bridge, which raised even more questions about how the collision unfolded.

North Sea crash latest: Man arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over North Sea crash is captain of cargo ship

A missing sailor is presumed dead after Monday's North Sea crash involving a cargo ship and a tanker. Meanwhile, crew members from the tanker involved have spoken to Sky News. We're closing this live page for the day - but catch up on what happened and listen to the Daily podcast here.

news.sky.com

 

[Indigo Soup]

However serious questions to be asked. Is anchoring in a known busy shipping lane permitted? How does a modern ship with all radar AIS etc continue at 16 knots and hit a 50,000 tonne tanker which has been anchored on the planned route for over 12 hours?

The collision appears to have taken place in a known anchorage, which of course prompts the question of what the SOLONG was doing there.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch will almost certainly be carrying out an investigation in due course, which ought to answer the relevant questions. But in general terms, accidents usually boil down to (a) the crew wasn't paying attention, or (b) something broke.

I say 'almost certainly' because the investigation can be led by another state if agreed with the Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents. Given that the STENA IMMACULATE is a US-flagged ship with a (limited) military role, I could see the NTSB leading the investigation.

 

[simonw]

From sky news

Autopilot could have led to crash, port chief says​

Autopilot could have led to the crash between the container and the tanker in the North Sea, a port chief has told Sky News.
In our 2.12pm post, we brought you some comments from Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, as he spoke to Kamali Melbourne.
During the interview, he was asked about tracking software which showed the Solong heading for the seemingly stationary Stena Immaculate before the collision, raising questions of what took place.
He said it might have been a case of autopilot: "One of them was at anchor and the other would have set a course.
"They have a thing called autopilot, and that's what I would suspect has been the issue.
"If it's been put on autopilot and there's no one on the bridge, which could happen, then it'd just go straight on.
"Autopilot just steers a course, they don't deviate, there's no bend in the sea.
"They just go straight for miles, hundreds of miles, and it would've gone in a straight direction.
"It's difficult to understand what happened, or why it happened."
He added there would've been alarms on the bridge, which raised even more questions about how the collision unfolded.

North Sea crash latest: Man arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over North Sea crash is captain of cargo ship

A missing sailor is presumed dead after Monday's North Sea crash involving a cargo ship and a tanker. Meanwhile, crew members from the tanker involved have spoken to Sky News. We're closing this live page for the day - but catch up on what happened and listen to the Daily podcast here.

news.sky.com

If one was ever asked for an article to illustrate what is speculation, that would be a strong contender.

 

[Peter Sarf]

The tanker "Stena Immaculate" was apparently anchored awaiting the right tide to enter the port so it was always going to be anchored somewhere near the port. And other ships would expect that. It would take a long time for the "Stena Immaculate" to get underway so if the crew knew a collision was imminent they could have done nothing except try to alert the container ship "Salong".

Tracking data shows the "Salong" took no evasive action continuing straight on at 15 Knots (quoted as about 20mph) until the collision. That is roughly top speed for a ship like that. Either no one was in the bridge of the "Salong" or there was some kind of failure of equipment, unless it was deliberate (speculation just to cover all possibilities).

Environmental risks HOPEFULLY might be mitigated by it being aviation fuel - it will burn off unlike heavy/crude oil I imagine.

The containers on the "Salong" will be an unknown quantity and it appears to be in the fire - reports it is wedged in the side of the tanker.

 

[Ediswan]

The collision appears to have taken place in a known anchorage, which of course prompts the question of what the SOLONG was doing there.

This video states that the tanker was anchored outside of the charted anchorage (full ?), with no suggestion that this was contrary to any rules. It also states that the Solong had made multiple passages back and forth along exactly the same track (autopilot).

 

[dangie]

An ‘expert’ has just appeared on BBC News, saying ‘This is an accident which shouldn’t have happened, but it has’.

Thank goodness for the knowledge of experts, I wouldn’t have known that….!!

 

[JD2168]

Apparently the weather in the area was foggy at the time & you can regularly get see frets at this time of year. The reports do bring into question what the Solange was doing to avoid the impact which shouldn’t have happened. If at Cleethorpes you can regularly see ships waiting to enter the Humber Estuary so this is a known anchor point.

Hopefully the environmental impact will be very minimal as Spurn point & beyond Bridlington at Bempton Cliffs are known wild birds & seals areas.

 

[swt_passenger]

I see the BBC get the description back to front as is often the case, eg here

“A massive ship came from out of the blue,” says a sailor, who was on board an oil tanker that collided with a cargo ship in the North Sea on Monday”

I’m sorry to get all pedantic, but it’s been obvious all yesterday from all the other reports, discussions and descriptions on the same BBC page that the tanker was stationary at anchor and the cargo ship collided with it.

The quote is in a box towards the top left of this page:

Cargo ship captain arrested over collision in North Sea, owner tells BBC

A Portuguese registered cargo ship and a US-flagged tanker collided off the East Yorkshire coast on Monday.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[thejuggler]

"Tanker hits cargo ship" seems to have been the narrative for over 24 hours.

In a 'disgusted from Tunbridge Wells' moment I've emailed the BBC about accuracy!

 

[Peter Sarf]

I see the BBC get the description back to front as is often the case, eg here

“A massive ship came from out of the blue,” says a sailor, who was on board an oil tanker that collided with a cargo ship in the North Sea on Monday”

I’m sorry to get all pedantic, but it’s been obvious all yesterday from all the other reports, discussions and descriptions on the same BBC page that the tanker was stationary at anchor and the cargo ship collided with it.

The quote is in a box towards the top left of this page:

Cargo ship captain arrested over collision in North Sea, owner tells BBC

A Portuguese registered cargo ship and a US-flagged tanker collided off the East Yorkshire coast on Monday.

www.bbc.co.uk

I think this is a case of getting the grammar wrong rather than misunderstanding the facts !. It seems to happen more and more with the BBC. Really shows they are taking on staff with poorer and poorer qualifications.

Mind you on ITV SKY news a reader was talking about the tanker being hit by a 140ft shipping container !.

Either I am noticing more or standards are slipping everywhere.

Worthy of a new thread ?.

"Tanker hits cargo ship" seems to have been the narrative for over 24 hours.

In a 'disgusted from Tunbridge Wells' moment I've emailed the BBC about accuracy!

Next someone will be saying Ukraine started the war.......

 

[Camberman]

It appears from what is in the news that only one sailor was not saved but even one loss is one too many.

On a lighter note, the Stena Immaculate is not so immaculate now......it remains to be seen if salvage will be possible.

Has anyone seen any post-collision images of the Solong?

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Oh Lord, not another one...

 

[CharlieSpotted]

Has anyone seen any post-collision images of the Solong?

The Solong, apparently, is still ablaze and drifting...

The good news is it seems that the cargo of Sodium Cyanide that has been the cause of much worry actually wasn't on board after all.

And here are some fresh images from the BBC News Live feed:

Cargo ship captain arrested over collision in North Sea, owner tells BBC

A Portuguese registered cargo ship and a US-flagged tanker collided off the East Yorkshire coast on Monday.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Peter Sarf]

The Solong, apparently, is still ablaze and drifting...

The good news is it seems that the cargo of Sodium Cyanide that has been the cause of much worry actually wasn't on board after all.

And here are some fresh images from the BBC News Live feed:

Cargo ship captain arrested over collision in North Sea, owner tells BBC

A Portuguese registered cargo ship and a US-flagged tanker collided off the East Yorkshire coast on Monday.

www.bbc.co.uk

Really the container ship seems to have more fire damage than the tanker. I suppose it was possibly pushing itself into the fire with what momentum it had left.

 

[swt_passenger]

A ‘59 year old man’ arrested for gross negligence manslaughter.

 

[brad465]

A ‘59 year old man’ arrested for gross negligence manslaughter.

Now confirmed as the cargo ship captain:

Cargo ship captain arrested over collision in North Sea, owner tells BBC

A Portuguese registered cargo ship and a US-flagged tanker collided off the East Yorkshire coast on Monday.

www.bbc.co.uk

Man arrested is ship's captain, owner of Solong tells BBC​

The owner of the Solong cargo ship, German firm Ernest Russ, has confirmed to the BBC that the man arrested by Humberside police is the master of the ship.

They say that he, along with the rest of the crew, are assisting the investigation. In a statement they added that “Out of respect for the investigation and all involved we will not comment further at this time.”

 

[Class15]

deleted

 

[ChrisC]

What an insensitive post, really. Surely the rescue of everyone involved is more important?

I‘m sure that it wasn’t meant as an insensitive post. I have to admit, even if it is thought insensitive, that was also my first thought on hearing about this collision. As someone just about old enough to remember the Torrey Canyon disaster off the SW of England in 1967 the pictures of the thousands of oil covered sea birds came to my mind. I was only 10 years old at the time and remember watching it on tv. There are lots of very important wildlife areas both north and south of the Humber.

 

[AndrewE]

terrible news - I hope the oil spillage and debris don't impact on a sensitive environmental area on the east coast

What an insensitive post, really. Surely the rescue of everyone involved is more important?

I'm not so sure, why is human life seen as sacrosanct when our "errors" cause environmental carnage and add yet another bit to the huge pile of almost overwhelming threats to the natural world's survival - and probably to our eventual survival too?

Sadly, the lost life will likely turn out to be someone with no responsibility for causing the "accident" and whose family won't get properly compensated, while most of the financial costs will get picked up by everybody else, either through taxes (or RNLI donations) or our insurance premiums.

 

[birchesgreen]

What an insensitive post, really.

No its not. People can care about more than one thing you know?

 

[CharlieSpotted]

More to the point - the fate of the crews is known. All of those on the tanker are safe, and all but one of the crew on the container ship is safe, with the remaining person missing and presumed lost at sea. Which is very sad.

With that question out of the way, I think it's perfectly reasonable to be concerned about environmental impact...

 

[Peter Sarf]

I‘m sure that it wasn’t meant as an insensitive post. I have to admit, even if it is thought insensitive, that was also my first thought on hearing about this collision. As someone just about old enough to remember the Torrey Canyon disaster off the SW of England in 1967 the pictures of the thousands of oil covered sea birds came to my mind. I was only 10 years old at the time and remember watching it on tv. There are lots of very important wildlife areas both north and south of the Humber.

I agree, it could be quite a considerable problem for the people who live along that coast and for the animals affected. I remember the Torrey Canyon too. A lot of suffering for animals and also for people involved in helping the cleanup.

I'm not so sure, why is human life seen as sacrosanct when our "errors" cause environmental carnage and add yet another bit to the huge pile of almost overwhelming threats to the natural world's survival - and probably to our eventual survival too?

Sadly, the lost life will likely turn out to be someone with no responsibility for causing the "accident" and whose family won't get properly compensated, while most of the financial costs will get picked up by everybody else, either through taxes (or RNLI donations) or our insurance premiums.

And we are not exactly an endangered species. But I suppose it depends whether someone realises they share the planet with other species.

No its not. People can care about more than one thing you know?

Wot - balance !.

More to the point - the fate of the crews is known. All of those on the tanker are safe, and all but one of the crew on the container ship is safe, with the remaining person missing and presumed lost at sea. Which is very sad.

With that question out of the way, I think it's perfectly reasonable to be concerned about environmental impact...

Indeed. It is now time to consider the wider environmental effects.

 

[Dave W]

I saw a Facebook post - possibly wibble, it is Facebook... - suggesting there were two railway vehicles on the cargo ship - I couldn't see anything obvious on the images but does anyone know how true it is?

 

[Peter Sarf]

I saw a Facebook post - possibly wibble, it is Facebook... - suggesting there were two railway vehicles on the cargo ship - I couldn't see anything obvious on the images but does anyone know how true it is?

I have not noticed anything.

 

[Killingworth]

Man arrested, the Solong's captain, is being reported as a Russian national. That'll get the conspiracy merchants going. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c30mj5gq9d5o

Arrested ship's captain is Russian national​

00:33
Media caption,
Watch: Fire worsens on cargo ship two days after collision
Stuart Harratt
BBC News

• • Published
    12 March 2025, 09:11 GMT

Updated 7 minutes ago
The captain of a cargo ship arrested after a collision with a tanker in the North Sea is a Russian national, the ship's owner has confirmed.
Humberside Police said the 59-year-old man remained in custody after being arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter on Tuesday.
The Portuguese-flagged Solong and the US-registered tanker Stena Immaculate crashed off the East Yorkshire coast at about 10:00 GMT on Monday.
A missing crew member from the cargo ship is presumed dead after a search and rescue operation was called off late on Monday.
Police said they had begun a criminal investigation into the cause of the collision and was working with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
On Tuesday, Det Ch Supt Craig Nicholson said: "Humberside Police have taken primacy for the investigation of any potential criminal offences which arise from the collision between the two vessels.
"Extensive work has already been carried out, and we are working closely with our partners to understand what happened, and to provide support to all of those affected."

Image source,EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Image caption,
The 59-year-old captain of the cargo ship Solong has been arrested
HM Coastguard said 36 people had been rescued and taken safely to shore.
The Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of aviation fuel to be used by the US military.
Both ships caught fire after the collision triggering a major response from emergency services.