The U.K Police have arrested the Captain of the Solong Cargo vessel, which collided with the US Oil tanker Stena Immaculate.The captain of the Solong is a Russian national, the ship’s owner has confirmed
The 59-year old man has been taken on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, linked to the recent North Sea Collision accident, involving the cargo ship and the oil tanker which led to an explosion and set the ships ablaze.
A criminal investigation
Humberside Police said it had begun a criminal investigation into the cause of the collision and was working with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.However, the man was not named by the police
Details of incident
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 crew member from the Solong ship was presumed dead, and it is not likely that the drifting vessel would stay afloat.
Crew members
The remaining 36 crew members from the two ships were brought ashore safely in the Grimsby Port with no serious injuries.Whitehall sources have told the BBC there were Russians and Filipinos among the crew of the Solong.
The cause of the incident
The cause of the incident and how it happened is yet to be found, and authorities are investigating why several safety systems onboard these advanced ships failed to prevent the catastrophe.
Virginia McVea, chief executive of Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said: “There have been no further reports of pollution to the sea from either vessel beyond what was observed during the initial incident.” whereas Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Nicholson stated that Humberside Police are looking into any potential criminal offences that arise from the collision.
However, on Tuesday, a spokesperson for British P.M. Keir Starmer said that the incident does not give any impression of a ‘foul play’.
Still “being held in a safe position
It is noteworthy that the Solong still “being held in a safe position offshore by a tug where the Stena Immaculate remains at anchor, with safety tugs in position should they be required.
The environmental damage
On the other hand Greenpeace U.K also expressed their concerns about the environmental damage from the accident as it happened near environmentally sensitive regions. There are fears that the leaked fuel could cause pollution, harming seabirds, including gannets and puffins and marine life and There were concerns that Solong was loaded with sodium cyanide, but Ernst Russ, the ship managing company, said that was not the case.
220,000 barrels of aviation fuel (Jet-A1 )
The Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of aviation fuel (Jet-A1 ) to be used by the US military One of its 16 fuel tanks was ruptured in the collision. was carrying 220,000 barrels of aviation fuel to be used by the US military.
Its co-owners, Florida-based Crowley, said it had been at anchor waiting for a berth to become available at the Port of Killingholme on the Humber Estuary.
The firm added the crash had caused “multiple explosions” on board and an unknown quantity of jet fuel to be released.
Read More :
Cargo ٍShip collides oil tanker off UK coast, causing fire disaster
References: Sky News, Al Jazeera. BBC Video Credits: The Mirror
