An in the has seen 37 casualties brought ashore and black smoke billowing into the sky near East Yorkshire. Lifeboats and a coastguard helicopter were called to the collision which happened 10 miles from the coast just before 10am on Monday (March 10).
The tanker is the US-flagged chemical and oil products carrier MV Stena Immaculate. She was at anchor at the time, according to ship-tracking site Vessel Finder. The cargo vessel, container ship Solong, was sailing from Grangemouth in Scotland to Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
Footage of the aftermath of the collision showed at least one vessel on fire, with clouds of black smoke coming out of the oil tanker.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution () said there were reports “a number of people” had abandoned the vessels after the collision and there were fires on both ships.
At least 32 casualties have been brought ashore from the major incident in the North Sea (Image: PA Images)
A huge fire has broken out (Image: PA Images)
An RNLI spokesman said: “Four lifeboat crews have been called to an incident off the East Yorkshire coast this morning.
“At 10.20am, HM Coastguard tasked Bridlington, Cleethorpes, Mablethorpe and Skegness lifeboats to support their response to two vessels that were reported to have been in collision with each other.
“There were reports that a number of people had abandoned the vessels following a collision and there were fires on both ships.
“By 11.40am, Cleethorpes had been stood down while Bridlington, Mablethorpe and Skegness continued to support search and rescue efforts. The incident is ongoing with the RNLI and HM Coastguard working together.”
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said several lifeboats and a coast guard rescue helicopter were dispatched to the scene along with a coast guard plane and nearby vessels with firefighting capabilities.
More than 20 of the casualties were brought ashore at Grimsby, but initial reports said some crew members had yet to be accounted for. The casualties’ conditions remain unclear.
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The collision prompted a major operation involving multiple agencies (Image: PA Images)
Martyn Boyers, Chief Executive of the Port of Grimsby East, said 13 casualties were initially brought in on a Windcat 33 vessel, with another 10 on a harbour pilot boat.
Mr 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.”
Graham Stuart, the MP for Beverley and Holderness, said he understood only one person was in hospital after the collision.
The Tory MP said: “Like many people across Beverley and Holderness and beyond, I’ve been watching the images from off the coast of Withernsea with a great deal of concern.
“I’ve now spoken with the Transport Secretary and I understand that only one person is in hospital. The other 36 mariners across both crews are safe and accounted for.
“While we will be thankful that everyone has been brought ashore, I continue to be concerned about the potential ecological impact. That’s why I’m calling for a unified command structure, to bring together government, police, Coastguard, the Environment Agency, local authorities and your MPs together.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said earlier she was concerned to hear about the collision and was liaising with officials and HM Coastguard as the situation develops.
She added: “I want to thank all emergency service workers involved for their continued efforts in responding to the incident.”
Fuel from the Stena Immaculate entered the water and has been ablaze, prompting concerns among environmentalists.
This map shows the location of the collision (Image: Getty)
The manager of the Stena Immaculate, Crowley, said the oil tanker sustained a ruptured cargo tank after it was struck by the Solong, causing “multiple explosions” and jet fuel to be released into the water.
Stena Bulk, the owner of the oil tanker, said the crew are safe. Lena Alvling, General Manager for Marketing and Corporate Events, said in a statement: “Stena Immaculate crew are all safe.”
Greenpeace has said it is monitoring reports of the cargo vessel crashing into the oil tanker off the coast of Yorkshire very closely.
A spokesman said: “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.”
He added: “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.”