An oil tanker and a cargo ship had a fiery collision off the coast of the United Kingdom Monday morning, with officials saying all crew have been accounted for.
Graham Stuart, a conservative member of the British Parliament representing the area near the incident, said that all 36 crew members on both ships were safe, with one being hospitalized. The collision between MV Stena Immaculate, a U.S.-flagged oil tanker, and the Solong, a Portuguese-flagged cargo vessel, occurred as the tanker was heading to the port of Grimsby and the cargo ship was heading to the Netherlands.
Videos of the incident shared online show large fires on the two vessels. The collision occurred off the coast of East Yorkshire with the British Coastguard saying the alarm was raised at 9:48 a.m. local time.
“HM Coastguard is currently coordinating the emergency response to reports of a collision between a tanker and cargo vessel off the coast of East Yorkshire, resulting in fires aboard both vessels. The alarm was raised at 9.48am,” the British Coastguard said in a statement.
“A Coastguard Rescue Helicopter from Humberside was called, alongside lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Maplethorpe and Cleethorpes, an HM Coastguard fixed wing aircraft, and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability,” the statement continued.
Crowley, the U.S.-based manager of MV Stena Immaculate, said in a statement Monday that its ship was struck by Solong while it was anchored off the North Sea.
“The Stena Immaculate sustained a ruptured cargo tank containing Jet-A1 fuel due to the allision. A fire occurred as a result of the allision, and fuel was reported released. The Stena Immaculate crew abandoned the vessel following multiple explosions onboard. All Crowley mariners are safe and fully accounted for,” the company said in a statement.
“Crowley immediately initiated its emergency vessel response plan and is actively working with public agencies to contain the fire and secure the vessel,” the statement continued.
A spokesperson for Crowley Maritime confirmed to the Telegraph that the ship was working under a U.S. military contract at the time of the collision and was a part of the US Government Tanker Security Program.
Environmental organizations like Greenpeace UK and local lawmakers like Stuart have sounded the alarm that the collision could cause an environmental crisis. It remains unclear how much fuel or oil was released into the water, as the sea itself and current weather conditions will also impact the severity of the situation.
A Greenpeace spokesperson told the BBC that no matter how much fuel has been lost, “the speed of the response will also be crucial in limiting any impact.”
Unlike diesel fuel, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that jet fuels can have a less toxic effect on the environment, particularly in open water. The agency does warn that any aquatic organisms that come in direct contact with the fuel may be killed, however small leaks in open water may not necessarily result in mass killings of fish. Environmental impacts are expected to be greater in areas with small streams and dense vegetation, NOAA says.
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British Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander said she was “concerned” about the incident and was receiving updates from officials on the collision.
“I want to thank all emergency service workers involved for their continued efforts in responding to the incident,” Alexander said in a post on X.
