LAST UPDATE | 10 Mar

ONE PERSON IS in hospital after 36 mariners were rescued following a crash between an oil tanker and a cargo ship in the North Sea, a British MP has said.

One crew member remains missing from the cargo ship, according to the ship’s owner Ernst Russ, with searches coast guard searches concluding this evening.

“After an extensive search for the missing crew member, sadly they have not been found and the search has ended,” Matthew Atkinson, divisional commander for the British Coastguard said in a statement.

The thirteen other crew members on board the cargo ship Solong “have been brought safely” ashore, said German shipping company Ernst Russ in a statement.

The maritime company managing the Stena Immaculate said jet fuel was released and there were “multiple explosions onboard” when the vessel suffered a ruptured cargo tank after being hit by the container ship Solong.

The tanker was operating as part of the US government’s Tanker Security Programme, a group of commercial vessels that can be contracted to carry fuel for the military when needed.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described the situation as “extremely concerning” while Greenpeace has said it is too early to gauge the environmental impact. 

Lifeboats and a coastguard helicopter were called to the collision in the Humber Estuary just before 10am involving a US-flagged tanker called the MV Stena Immaculate and a Portuguese cargo ship called Solong.

The American tanker was at anchor, according to ship tracking tool Vesselfinder.

Crowley, which manages the Stena Immaculate, said there were “multiple explosions onboard” when the vessel suffered a ruptured cargo tank.

The statement from Crowley read: “At approximately 10am on March 10, 2025, while anchored off the North Sea coast near Hull, United Kingdom, the Crowley-managed tanker Stena Immaculate was struck by the container ship Solong.

“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.

“Crowley immediately initiated its emergency vessel response plan and is actively working with public agencies to contain the fire and secure the vessel.

PA PA

‘Massive fireball’

Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, told the PA news agency 13 casualties were initially brought in on a Windcat 33 vessel, followed by another 10 on a harbour pilot boat and nine on another pilot’s vessel.

Boyers said he had been told there was “a massive fireball”, adding: “It’s too far out for us to see – about 10 miles – but we have seen the vessels bringing them in.

“They must have sent a mayday out – luckily there was a crew transfer vessel out there already.

“Since then there has been a flotilla of ambulances to pick up anyone they can find.”

The casualties’ conditions remain unclear.

Footage of the incident showed at least one vessel on fire, with clouds of black smoke coming out of the oil tanker.

Details ‘still becoming clear’ 

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said it was an “extremely concerning situation”.

He said: “We thank the emergency services for their rapid response. I understand the Department for Transport is working closely with the coastguard to help support the response to the incident.

“We’re obviously monitoring the situation, we’ll continue to co-ordinate the response and we’re grateful to emergency personnel for their continued efforts.”

Asked if there were any theories about what happened, the spokesman said: “My understanding is the details are still becoming clear, so I don’t want to speculate on that.”

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has deployed a team to conduct a preliminary assessment, the spokesman said.

Greenpeace UK said it was “too early” to know the extent of any environmental damage.

A spokesperson said the organisation was monitoring the situation “very closely”.

“Both the high speed of the collision and the footage of the aftermath are cause for great concern.

“Right now, our thoughts are with all those affected by the incident and the emergency services responding to the situation.

“At this stage, it’s too early to assess the extent of any environmental damage. But the magnitude of any impact will depend on a number of factors, including the amount and type of oil carried by the tanker, the fuel carried by both ships, and how much of that, if any, has entered the water.

“Sea and weather conditions will also be important in determining how any spill behaves.

“In the case of an oil spill or any loss of hazardous cargo from the container ship involved, the speed of the response will also be crucial in limiting any impact.”