Under arrest captain of Solong container ship involved in North Sea crash is Russian national, company says

The arrested captain of the Solong - the container ship involved in the crash in the North Sea - is a Russian national, the vessel's owner has said.

The rest of the crew were Russian and Filipino nationals, according to German shipping company Ernst Russ.

It comes after police said a man had been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with Monday's collision.

Humberside Police said a 59-year-old is in custody to allow enquiries to take place, and officers are talking to those involved to find out what happened.

The force added investigators have started a criminal probe into the cause of the collision between the US-registered Stena Immaculate and the Portuguese-flagged Solong about 13 miles off the coast of East Yorkshire on Monday, and are working with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

The tanker was carrying Jet-A1 fuel for the US Navy as part of a United States government programme designed to supply American armed forces with fuel when required, a military spokesman told Reuters.

On Monday, maritime security sources told Reuters there was no indication of any malicious activity or other actors involved in the incident and UK authorities have also said they have so far found no evidence of foul play in the crash.

Humberside detectives are working with the UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch, and it's been reported that authorities from the US and Portugal will lead the investigation into what happened.

The Stena Immaculate, operated by US firm Crowley, was stationary and at anchor while waiting for a berth to become available at the Port of Killingholme, on the River Humber, when it was struck by the smaller Solong, causing huge fires and explosions - the smoke from which was visible from space.

The Solong had been sailing from Grangemouth in Scotland to Rotterdam in the Netherlands at the time. It was initially feared it was carrying sodium cyanide but the German owner Ernst Russ said four containers on the vessel had previously been carrying the chemical.

One missing, presumed dead

One person remains missing and is presumed dead.

In the immediate aftermath of the collision, dozens of people were forced to abandon the vessels as they caught fire.

Coastguard rescued 36 people after the alarm was raised at 9.48am on Monday, with ambulances lining up at a nearby port as emergency services readied their response.

All 23 people on board the oil tanker Stena Immaculate were accounted for, but one of the 14 crew members of the Solong is still missing.

A search for them was called off Monday evening.

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Solong failed safety checks

It has emerged that the Solong failed steering-related safety checks last year.

Port state control (PSC) inspection documents from July last year show how officials warned that the ship's "emergency steering position communications/compass reading" was "not readable".

It was among 10 issues highlighted during an inspection by Irish officials.

Other issues included the alarms being "inadequate", survival craft not being properly maintained and fire doors "not as required".

Another inspection, this time in Scotland in October 2024, found two issues with the Solong.

One of these was related to lifebuoys, warning they were "not properly marked".

PSC inspections, which are carried out around the world, aim to verify that a vessel's condition and equipment meet international regulations.

Environmental impact not as severe as initially feared

The Stena Immaculate had been carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks - at least one of which "was ruptured" during the collision, shipping company Crowley said.

But it added that the jet fuel spill was having a "limited" impact.

The potential environmental impact seems to be less severe than initially feared.

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Most of the spilt jet fuel has evaporated or burned off, Crowley said in an X post. There seems to have been no loss of engine fuel from either vessel and both are expected to remain afloat despite a gaping hole in the side of the Stena Immaculate and earlier fears the Solong would sink.

There are no visible flames on either ship, and the Solong, which was drifting, has now been secured by tugs.

The chief executive for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Virginia McVea, said on Wednesday morning: "There have been no further reports of pollution to the sea from either vessel beyond what was observed during the initial incident. HM Coastguard's counter pollution and salvage team has a comprehensive counter pollution response in place should it be required. Salvors also have equipment and personnel ready to respond to any pollution.

"The overarching objective is to protect the public and the environment to the best of our ability, during this ongoing incident response.

"This morning's assessment shows the fires on board the [Solong] have greatly reduced in their extent and intensity.

"The Stena Immaculate remains at anchor, with safety tugs in position should they be required. There are no visible flames on board and an on-board assessment may be carried out later today.

"Salvors will only board the vessels when it is safe to do so. Only then will it be possible to carry out comprehensive damage assessments."

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