A crew member of a cargo ship that struck a US-flagged oil tanker today is still missing, the vessel’s owner has confirmed.
Solong’s Hamburg-based owner, Ernst Russ, tonight gave the worrying update after the ship hit the MV Stena Immaculate causing it to explode into a ‘massive fireball’ off the Yorkshire coast today, leaking some 18,000 tonnes of fuel into the North Sea.
Thirteen of Solong’s 14 crew have been brought to shore with Ernst Russ saying ‘efforts to locate the missing crew member are ongoing’.
The Solong and the chemical tanker Stena Immaculate both sustained significant damage in the collision, Russ added.
‘Both vessels have sustained significant damage in the impact of the collision and the subsequent fire,’ he said.
Stena Immaculate has confirmed all of its 23 crew members have been accounted for.
Fire and rescue services attend after a collision between oil tanker MV Stena Immaculate and the cargo vessel MV Solong off the coast of the Humber Estuary
A rescue vessel is seen spraying the burning wreckage with water in an attempt to extinguish the flames
MV Stena Immaculate exploded into a ‘massive fireball’ after being hit by MV Solong, leaking some 18,000 tonnes of jet fuel into the North Sea.
Earlier, East Midlands Ambulance Service said 36 patients had been assessed at the scene.
Alastair Smith, head of operations for Lincolnshire at East Midlands Ambulance Service, said: ‘We received a call at 11.28am on Monday 10 March to North Quay in Grimsby, relating to reports of a collision between a tanker and cargo vessel off the coast of East Yorkshire.
‘A total of 36 patients were assessed on scene by our ambulance crews and none required transporting to hospital.’
MailOnline has contacted the HM Coastguard for comment with it coordinating the emergency response to the disaster.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
