Oil tanker hit by container ship in North Sea

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A US-flagged oil tanker was hit by a container ship within the North Sea on Monday morning, triggering fires on each vessels and a rescue operation by UK emergency providers.

The UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Company has despatched rescue helicopters, lifeboats and firefighting vessels to the scene and stated it was assessing the “doubtless counter air pollution response required”.

It was alerted to the incident off the coast of Humberside at 9.48am on Monday.

Martyn Bowers, chief government of the Port of Grimsby East, stated that 32 folks had been introduced ashore following the incident.

“I do know that they had been all alive,” he advised Sky Information, including that extra folks from the vessels had been anticipated.

Monitoring data from Marine Visitors, the vessel visitors data website, on the positioning steered the container ship Solong had ploughed into the oil tanker, the Stena Immaculate, whereas the tanker was at anchor.

Data from the positioning confirmed the vessels now sitting at proper angles to one another within the North Sea.

The Stena Immaculate is a US-flagged vessel managed by Crowley, a Florida-based maritime logistics firm. Its registered proprietor is Stena Bulk Marine Companies, an organization registered in Denmark.

Crowley stated the Stena Immaculate had “sustained a ruptured cargo tank containing Jet-A1 gasoline” after it was “struck by the container ship Solong” and that “gasoline was reported launched”.

“The Stena Immaculate crew deserted the vessel following a number of explosions onboard. All Crowley mariners are secure and absolutely accounted for,” the corporate added.

In 2023, Crowley introduced that the Stena Immaculate and two different ships it managed had been chosen to take part in a US authorities programme that secures gasoline provides for the US navy.

Crowley stated on the time the vessels would function with US crews, including: “The tankers will proceed worldwide industrial operations however may be chartered on a short-term foundation to serve the US authorities’s operations.”

It was not instantly clear whether or not the ship was carrying gasoline on behalf of the US navy on the time of Monday’s incident.

Solong’s proprietor is listed transport firm Ernst Russ, primarily based in Germany. The corporate didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

In keeping with Marine Visitors, the Stena Immaculate was carrying 18,000 tonnes of Jet A-1, a type of aviation gasoline, from a refinery in Greece.

Marine Visitors confirmed the Solong had departed the Humber Estuary port of Immingham and was crusing to Rotterdam.

The RNLI stated one of many 4 lifeboats despatched to the scene had been stood down by 11.40am, whereas three others “continued to help search and rescue efforts”.