Cargo ship’s captain arrested over North Sea crash
BBC News
PA MediaThe captain of a cargo ship was arrested after colliding with an oil tanker in the North Sea.
On Monday, around 10:00 GMT, the Portuguese-signed Solong and the U.S.-registered tanker Stena Immaculate crashed off the East Yorkshire coast.
Humberside police said the 59-year-old was arrested on suspicion of aggravated manslaughter after searching for Zoro’s missing crew.
Crowley, the Florida oil tanker joint owner, said the fire on board “has no visible flames drastically reduced.”
The company said it will continue to help British authorities in its initial salvage campaign, but its priorities are the well-being of its 23-person crew and efforts to limit the environmental impact of the crash.
It added that it is not clear that the jet fuel it carries has been released into the sea, but “preliminary reviews have revealed the impact of restrictions due to fires and evaporation exposed to the fuel”.
Ernst Russ, a German company owning Solong, confirmed to the BBC that the arrested man was the owner of the ship.
It said he worked with other crew members to assist in the investigation.
Transport Secretary Mike Kane said a crew member of the cargo ship was still missing and died after a search and rescue operation was completed on Monday night.
White Hall sources told the BBC that Zoro’s crew included Russians and Filipinos.
The BBC understands that all crew members on the Stena Immactule ship are Americans currently in Grimsby and will be repatriated in due course.
Police said they have begun criminal investigations into the cause of the collision and are working with the Maritime and Coast Guard.
Police said the Marine Accident Investigation Department also conducted a parallel preliminary assessment to determine the cause of the crash.
HM Coastguard confirmed that 36 people have been brought to shore safely.
“Humberside police respect the investigation of any potential criminal offences arising from the collision between the two vessels,” Det Ch Supt Craig Nicholson said.
He said the arrested man was detained.
“After my team conducted an inquiry, we arrested a 59-year-old manslaughter for allegedly aggravated manslaughter in connection with the collision.
“This is after the end of the search operation by the HM Coast Guard for the missing crew of Solong.
“Our idea is to be with the family of the missing crew and I have appointed a family liaison officer to contact and support the family.”
The smoke continued to roll from Zoro.
Ernst Russ, the ship’s German owner, said it was supporting the families of the missing crew.
It also confirmed that, as initially concerned, there were no containers on board.
“There are four empty containers that previously contained hazardous chemicals and these containers will continue to be monitored,” the company said.
Crowley said its tanker was hit by Zoro while anchored on the Hull coast, causing “multiple explosions” on the ship and releasing a certain amount of jet fuel.
Stena Immaculate cargo holds 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 isolated cargo holds, at least one of which ruptures when it breaks.
Beverley and Holderness Congressman Graham Stuart said officials told him that so far there was no evidence of any heavy motor oil or pollution in water or pollution in the air on board.
PA MediaTuesday, Kane told the House of Commons The “work hypothesis” is the death of a crew member from a cargo ship.
Transport Minister Heidi Alexander said she had met with the Maritime and Coast Guard and was told early signs that both ships are now expected to remain alive.
She added that it could be “dragged away from the shore and salvage operations may be in progress”.
Stena Impaculate is part of the U.S. government’s tanker safety program, a group of commercial vessels that can sign for the military to carry fuel when needed, Crowley said.
The company said it has been anchored while waiting for the berth to be listed at the Killingholme port on the Humber River.
Other reports by Stuart Harratt and Kevin Shoesmith.
