Hull, March 11 (Alliance News): The UK coastguard has called off the search for a missing crew member after a cargo ship collided with a US-military-chartered tanker carrying jet fuel in the North Sea on Monday.
The accident involved the Solong container vessel and the Stena Immaculate tanker, sparking a massive fire and concerns over toxic hazards.
While 36 crew members were rescued, with one hospitalized, one crew member from the Solong remains unaccounted for.
“Despite an extensive search, they have not been found, and the search has ended,” said Matthew Atkinson, Divisional Commander for HM Coastguard.
The collision, which occurred about 10 miles off the east England coast, ruptured the tanker, releasing jet fuel into the water and triggering a blaze.
The Stena Immaculate was carrying around 220,000 barrels of jet fuel under a short-term US military charter, while the Solong had 15 containers of sodium cyanide, a highly toxic chemical. Authorities have yet to confirm whether any of the dangerous substance has leaked.
Images from the scene showed thick black smoke rising into the sky as the fire continued to rage 12 hours after the incident. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the situation “extremely concerning.”
Environmental experts warned of the potential impact on marine life, as the collision occurred near a breeding ground for harbor porpoises. While jet fuel is expected to evaporate quickly, scientists cautioned that it could still cause harm to marine ecosystems.
Authorities have suspended vessel movements in the Humber estuary, and emergency response teams, including the German Central Command for Maritime Emergencies, have been dispatched.
Investigations into the cause of the collision are underway, with maritime experts describing such incidents in the busy North Sea as rare but highly dangerous.
