The White House has not ruled out the possibility of foul play after a US-chartered oil tanker was struck by a container ship in the North Sea.
As widely reported, the collision occurred shortly before 10AM on Monday (March 10) when the Portuguese-flagged cargo vessel MV Solong hit the Stena Immaculate, a US-flagged tanker operating under the US Navy’s Military Sealift Command.
The Stena Immaculate was transporting 35 million liters of Jet A-1 aviation fuel from Greece, while the Solong carried 15 containers of toxic sodium cyanide.
A US government source has told The Telegraph that early investigations do not indicate deliberate sabotage, but foul play has not been ruled out.
Marine experts have raised concerns about the circumstances of the crash, noting that the Immaculate was likely at anchor when it was struck.
The UK government has called the incident “extremely concerning”, and the coastguard is assessing necessary counter-pollution measures.
Several helicopters and lifeboats were deployed by the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency, with 36 casualties brought ashore. One crew member from the Solong remained unaccounted for as of Monday night.
Authorities temporarily blocked ships from departing all ports along the UK’s east coast, and a three-mile air exclusion zone was enforced over the crash site during rescue operations.
Ernst Russ, the Hamburg-based owner of the Solong, confirmed that 13 of its 14 crew members had been rescued.
“Both vessels have sustained significant damage in the impact of the collision and the subsequent fire,” a company statement read. “Ernst Russ immediately activated an emergency response team, and the company remains in contact with them, the master of Solong, and all relevant marine authorities at Humberside. The first priority is the safety of the crew(s), all responders, and the environment."
Crowley, the Florida-based logistics company managing the Stena Immaculate, said the vessel was operating as part of the US government’s tanker security program.
A spokesperson confirmed that the Immaculate had suffered a ruptured cargo tank, leading to a fuel spill, but emphasized that all 23 mariners on board were safe.
Dr. Abdul Khalique, head of the maritime center at Liverpool John Moores University, said a preliminary computer reconstruction suggests the Solong’s watchkeepers may be to blame.
“Although lookout by sight may have been hampered by the poor prevailing visibility at the time of accident, had the watchkeepers been maintaining a proper lookout by radar, they would have spotted this imminent collision threat and taken an action to avoid collision,” Khalique said.
The area is known for its high concentration of anchored ships, with experts comparing navigating through it at high speeds to “speeding through a car park full of vehicles".
The chemical spill has also raised concerns about potential environmental damage. Martin Slater, operations director at the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, warned of possible devastation to the Humber Estuary’s ecosystem, which is home to protected seabirds and important fish stocks.
“If pollution spillage enters the Humber, this could potentially be devastating for the wildlife of the estuary, including important fish stocks and tens of thousands of overwintering and migrating birds who use the mudflats,” he said.
The UK’s Department for Transport said it is coordinating with HM Coastguard and emergency responders.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander expressed her gratitude to rescue teams and extended her condolences to the missing mariner’s family.
“I am hugely grateful to HM Coastguard, the RNLI, and emergency services who have responded to this incident,” she said. “They were on the scene swiftly, have helped rescue those in immediate danger, and I know they will continue to work tirelessly over the coming days.
The Coastguard ended its search for the missing crew member on Monday night, with divisional commander Matthew Atkinson stating: “One crew member of the Solong remains unaccounted for. After an extensive search, sadly they have not been found and the search has ended.”
Meanwhile, authorities have arrested a man in connection to the collision between two ships.