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Fires still rage after tanker collides with cargo ship in North Sea
The search for a missing crew member from a cargo ship that crashed into a tanker has been called off
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Fires aboard a cargo ship and a tanker which collided in the North Sea off the East Yorkshire coast have continued to burn overnight.
Coastguard aircraft were monitoring the situation with the vessels still alight on Tuesday morning.
A search for a missing crew member from the cargo ship was called off on Monday night.
HM Coastguard said efforts to find the person from the Solong container ship had ended after âan extensive searchâ, following the shipâs collision with the Stena Immaculate tanker on Monday morning.
The maritime company managing the Stena Immaculate, Crowley, said the vessel was struck by the Solong while anchored off the coast of Hull, causing âmultiple explosionsâ on board and jet fuel it was carrying to be released.
Crowley said it was unclear how much fuel may have been released, but that Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks when it was struck.
The tanker was operating as part of the US governmentâs Tanker Security Programme, a group of commercial vessels that can be contracted to carry fuel for the military when needed.
Crew members on an RNLI boat in Bridlington, Yorkshire, after taking part in rescue operations following the collision
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It had been anchored while it waited for a berth to become available at the Port of Killingholme, on the River Humber, Crowley said.
According to reports, the Solong was carrying sodium cyanide, which can produce harmful gas when combined with water, but it was unclear if there had been any leak.
HM Coastguard divisional commander Matthew Atkinson said an assessment of any required counter-pollution response was being carried out by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Speaking about the crash on Tuesday morning, a minister sought to reassure the public over the environmental impact of the collision.
Matthew Pennycook told Times Radio the fire was âstill ragingâ and the Government was âalive to the potential impacts on the environmentâ.
The housing minister said: âThe Maritime and Coastguard Agency are well equipped to contain and disperse any oil spills.
âWe don't think air quality impacts are outside of normal levels, but we will keep the situation obviously under review.
âIt's a fast-moving and dynamic situation, but all the necessary services are on the ground, both investigating and taking the immediate steps required.â
Lifeboats and a coastguard helicopter were called to the collision in the Humber Estuary just before 10am.
One RNLI crew member told The Times the fog was so thick during the initial search and rescue crews could ânot see a thingâ.
It is understood the US and Portugal will lead investigations into the incident and that work is ongoing to establish the full contents of both ships.
Dr Tom Webb, senior lecturer in marine ecology and conservation at the University of Sheffield, said: âThe wildlife of the Yorkshire coast and Humber Estuary is of immense biological, cultural and economic importance.
âIn addition to the wealth of marine life that is present all year round, this time of the year is crucial for many migratory species.â
Martin Slater, of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, told the i Paper the coast was home to âprotected and significantâ seabird colonies, with many gathering offshore ahead of the nesting season.
Dr Alex Lukyanov, researcher on advanced mathematical models of oil spills from the University of Reading, said: âOil spills like the one in the North Sea are affected by multiple factors.
âThe size of the spill, weather conditions, sea currents, water waves, wind patterns, and the type of oil involved all play crucial roles in determining environmental outcomes.
âThis particular incident is troubling because it appears to involve persistent oil, which breaks up slowly in water.â
He added: âThe environmental toll could be severe.â
The Prime Ministerâs official spokesman said it was an âextremely concerning situationâ while Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch had begun a preliminary assessment of the incident.
Crowley vice president Cal Hayden said: âAs with all our operations, Crowleyâs priority is to protect the safety of mariners and the environment.
âWe greatly appreciate the quick actions and support of the UK authorities, rescue workers and others to todayâs incident and remain committed to working with them on the continued response efforts.â
Michael Paterson, UK managing director of the tugboat firm Svitzer, told The Times seven of the companyâs vessels were at the scene on Monday.
He said the incident was âone of the more serious that Iâve seen in my timeâ.
âWe donât know how long this will last, but the phases of this are normally search and rescue and firefighting containment, and then it moves into environmental control, pollution and salvage of the vessels,â he said.
âWe understand the search and rescue is now complete, but the firefighting will clearly still continue.â
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