A Russian national was the captain of the cargo ship Solong that collided with the U.S.-registered tanker Stena Immaculate off the coast of England, igniting a fire and spilling jet fuel into the North Sea. British authorities arrested the 59-year-old captain on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. The incident, which took place near the port of Hull on Monday, has triggered an environmental and maritime safety investigation, though officials have stated there is no immediate sign of foul play.
The Stena Immaculate, which was carrying jet fuel as part of the U.S. military's Tanker Security Program, was anchored near the port of Grimsby at the time of the collision. The Solong, a Portuguese-flagged vessel, was en route from Grangemouth, Scotland, to Rotterdam, Netherlands, when it struck the American tanker's side, causing multiple explosions and a fire that burned for more than 24 hours. The U.S. tanker sustained a ruptured cargo tank, leading to a spill of aviation fuel into the sea.
Thirty-six crew members from both vessels were safely rescued, but one sailor from the Solong remains missing and is presumed dead. British Maritime Minister Mike Kane confirmed Tuesday that search and rescue operations had been called off. "No sign of pollution from vessels is observed at this time," Kane told lawmakers in the House of Commons, though environmental groups have expressed concerns over potential long-term damage.
Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, questioned how such a crash could have happened given modern navigational technology. "It seems a mystery, really, because all the vessels now have very highly sophisticated technical equipment to plot courses and to look at any obstacles or anything they've got to avoid," Boyers said. "How did that vessel continue plowing into the berth vessel? There must have been some warning signs. They must have been able to detect it on the radar."
According to Sky News, a Port State Control inspection in July 2024 identified 10 safety concerns aboard the Solong, including issues with the vessel's emergency steering system. It remains unclear whether these deficiencies played a role in the collision.
The tanker's operator, Crowley, a U.S.-based maritime logistics firm, confirmed the Stena Immaculate was part of a fleet of 10 tankers in the U.S. Department of Defense's Tanker Security Program, which ensures commercial vessels are available to transport fuel for military needs. The tanker “sustained a ruptured cargo tank containing Jet-A1 fuel," Crowley said in a statement.
Environmental groups have raised alarms over the potential impact of the spill near critical seabird colonies and fishing waters. Greenpeace U.K. said it was too soon to determine the extent of environmental damage, while Oceanu UK warned that jet fuel "can cause a huge amount of damage to wildlife as well as fish populations."
Concerns were heightened by reports that the Solong was carrying sodium cyanide, a highly toxic chemical. Ernst Russ, the ship's owner, later clarified that the vessel was only transporting empty containers that had previously held the substance, not the chemical itself.
Humberside Police confirmed that the Russian captain remains in custody as the investigation unfolds. "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," Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Nicholson said Tuesday.
