A major incident occurred on Monday when a cargo ship collided with a US military-chartered oil tanker that resulted in a fire and required extensive rescue efforts off the northeast coast of England. This severe collision happened in the North Sea water at a distance of ten miles from the English shoreline. The Portuguese-flagged container ship Solong, along with the Stena Immaculate, which was an oil tanker at anchor, experienced the collision. The forceful collision resulted in serious destruction to both vessels and produced explosions as well as fires on board.
The Solong carried sodium cyanide as a toxic chemical substance along with unknown alcohol amounts based on Lloyd’s List maritime intelligence records. Sodium cyanide can release hydrogen cyanide gas when it comes into contact with water, raising serious environmental concerns. The current situation regarding water contamination by cyanide remains unclear despite potential chemical leakage being a serious environmental concern. The Stena Immaculate was transporting military jet fuel and marine diesel when the collision occurred, which added to the multiple challenges facing the situation.
Emergency Team Responds Quickly
Emergency services, including firefighting vessels and coastguard helicopters, rushed to the scene. The British Coast Guard confirmed that a search for a missing crew member from the Solong had been called off by Monday night. Of the 14 crew members aboard the Solong, only one was unaccounted for, while the remaining 13 were rescued. According to Alastair Smith from the East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, 36 people were treated for injuries after reaching the shore.
The Stena Immaculate was on a resupply mission to Killingholme, England, after departing the Greek port of Agioi Theodoroi. It had sustained significant damage to its cargo tank, which contained Jet-A1 fuel, due to the collision. Greenpeace UK has expressed alarm about the potential environmental impact, particularly near a harbor porpoise breeding ground. Dr. Paul Johnston, a senior scientist with Greenpeace, emphasised the danger posed by the chemicals on board, especially the jet fuel that entered the water.
Reason Behind Collision Still Unknown
The cause of the accident remains unclear. Martyn Boyers, CEO of the Port of Grimsby East, stated that the collision was especially puzzling given the advanced navigational equipment available on modern vessels. “It’s difficult to actually suggest what went on, other than the fact it should never have happened,” Boyers commented. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) and the Marine and Coastguard Agency (MCA) are expected to launch a full investigation into the cause of the crash.
While experts say that jet fuel spills tend to have a less severe environmental impact than crude oil, with bacteria helping to degrade the fuel more rapidly, concerns remain about the potential risks of the other chemicals involved. The UK Coastguard is currently assessing the need for a counter-pollution response, though it remains unclear what substances, if any, have been released into the sea.
UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander expressed concern over the collision and praised the emergency responders for their quick actions. The weather in the area at the time of the incident included poor visibility, with fog and low clouds, according to the Met Office, which may have contributed to the collision.
