A 59-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter after the in the , Humberside Police have said. The oil tanker, Stena Immaculate, suffered a ruptured cargo tank when it was hit by the container ship Solong at about 10am on Monday. It caused “multiple explosions” and fires, with jet fuel pouring into the water. One crew member remains missing.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is launching a separate preliminary assessment to establish the causes of the crash involving the Portuguese vessel Solong and US tanker. Senior investigating officer Det Ch Supt Craig Nicholson said: “Humberside Police have taken primacy for the investigation of any potential criminal offences which arise from the collision between the two vessels.
“Extensive work has already been carried out and we are working closely with our partners to understand what happened, and to provide support to all of those affected.” He added that officers arrested the 59-year-old man on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision and this follows the conclusion of search operations by HM Coastguard for the missing crew member of the Solong.
All but one of the 37 crew members from the two vessels were brought safely ashore in the port of Grimsby, with no major injuries.
The search for the missing mariner was called off last night (March 10) (Image: Getty)
Det Ch Supt Nicholson said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the missing crew member and I have appointed family liaison officers to make contact and provide support to the family.
“The man arrested remains in custody at this time whilst inquiries are under way and we continue speaking with all those involved to establish the full circumstances of the incident.”
Crowley, the maritime company operating the Stena Immaculate, has said previously that the vessel was struck by Solong while anchored off the coast of Hull.
The firm said Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks, at least one of which “was ruptured” when it was struck.
The tanker was operating as part of the US government’s tanker security programme, a group of commercial vessels which can be contracted to carry fuel for the military when needed.
It had been anchored while waiting for a berth to become available at the Port of Killingholme, on the River Humber, according to Crowley.
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The missing mariner is presumed dead (Image: Getty)
There were fears Solong was carrying sodium cyanide, but shipping company Ernst Russ, which manages the vessel, said that was not the case.
It added that four empty containers on board which “previously contained the hazardous chemical” will “continue to be monitored”.
Aerial images from the scene show three tugboats are alongside Solong, and at least one attached to it. Smoke was continuing to billow from the ship on Tuesday.
Transport Minister Mike Kane said the fire on Stena Immaculate “appears to be extinguished” and the Government “will do everything to recover the body of the mariner”.
Mr Kane said the vessels became attached to each other during the collision, but Solong broke free of the Stena Immaculate late last night and began drifting southwards.
Ship tracking website VesselFinder shows the tanker departed from a port in the Peloponnese region of Greece and was heading towards Hull, while Solong was sailing to Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
Mr Kane said the crews of both vessels abandoned ship after “initial firefighting attempts were overwhelmed”.
HM Coastguard said in a statement its counter pollution and salvage team is “developing a plan ready for implementation as soon as the situation allows”.
Teams have been keeping a lookout along the north-east and east of England coastline for visible signs of pollution affecting seabirds, marine life and the coast itself.
Greenpeace UK said that it was too early to assess the extent of any environmental damage from the collision, which took place near busy fishing grounds and major seabird colonies.