Missing crew search has been called off after nearly 24 hours have passed since the two ships collided in the North Sea, with both vessels still ablaze.
One crew member from the cargo ship remains missing, and the search has been called off following an “extensive search,” according to HM Coastguard. The cargo ship Solong carrying toxic chemicals collided with the oil tanker Stena Immaculate transporting Jet A-1 fuel just before 10:00 AM on 10 March. Coastguard Divisional Commander Matthew Atkinson reported that 36 people had been rescued, with one individual requiring hospitalization.
I would like to thank the rescue services for the operation following the incident involving an oil tanker and a cargo ship in the North Sea. Sadly one seafarer is still missing. The investigation report will be submitted to IMO in due course.
…stated Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General, IMO.
Data from MarineTraffic appears to indicate that one ship was moving and the other was nearly stationary when the collision happened. The Stena Immaculate was drifting at a speed of 0.1 knots at 09:48 GMT, while the Solong approached from the north at a speed of 16 knots.
However, questions remain on the cause of the collision. According to BBC, one crew member of the tanker described the collision as completely unexpected and sudden. Another seafarer speaking to CBS News, stated that “a massive ship came from out of the blue” adding that he only had seconds to react.
In addition, the sailor said that the Solong didn’t immediately stop and that it drove into their ship “for what seemed like 10 minutes.” Other crew members have described how it appeared nobody was on the bridge of the Solong at the moment of the crash. However, two maritime security sources said to Reuters that there was no indication of any malicious activity or other actors involved in the incident.
Sal Mercogliano, maritime historian at Campbell University and former merchant mariner, also provided an update on the collision between Solong and Stena Immaculate.
Moreover, the owner of the Solong, Ernst Russ, confirmed that one member of its 14 person crew was missing, a fact the coastguard also verified before calling off the search. Some of the fuel started leaking into the sea, raising concerns about the environmental impact on marine life in the area.
The Solong vessel, was carrying 15 containers of sodium cyanide among other cargo, according to a report from maritime data provider Lloyd’s List Intelligence. The container vessel was also transporting an unknown quantity of alcohol, the casualty report – an assessment of incidents at sea – said, citing a message from the local coastguard.
However, Melanie Onn, MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that a government minister has said it is “undetermined” if sodium cyanide was on board.
“Actually, they don’t know what is in the cargo for Solong. And if it were to be the sodium cyanide, that would be very worrying. So we are waiting for kind of continuous updates on that”, Melanie Onn commented.
Onn also added that the Marine Accident Investigation Branch that is currently on site is providing direct reports back to the minister and that the MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency) is doing an evaluation of the contamination risk and working with the owners of both of the vessels to plan a salvage operation.
Additionally, Stena Bulk in a statement said that the Stena Immaculate, involved in the allision with Solong while anchored off Hull in the North Sea, had a cargo tank carrying Jet A-1 fuel breached, resulting in the fire blaze. The Stena Immaculate tanker was on a short-term charter to the US Navy’s Military Sealift Command when it was struck, a US military spokesperson told Reuters.
The tanker was operated by US logistics group Crowley. Crowley has stated that there were “multiple explosions onboard” when the oil tanker suffered the rupture on its cargo tank.
As previously reported, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch has sent investigators to Grimsby following the crash between two vessels in the North Sea. A spokesperson said: “The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has deployed a team to Grimsby following the collision of the Portuguese-registered container ship Solong and the US-registered oil tanker Stena Immaculate which collided in the North Sea this morning.”
My heart goes out to all of the seafarers affected. Our brave seafarers risk their lives every day to keep global trade moving, and in moments like this, we are reminded of the dangers they face at sea.
…said Stuart Rivers, CEO, Merchant Navy Welfare Board (MNWB).
