British officials feared possible environmental damage on Tuesday and looked for the answer the day after a cargo ship hit an oil tanker carrying jet fuel for military fuel in eastern England, which burned both ships.
On Monday, the Portuguese registered container ship Solong’s spacious tanker MV Stena Immactule poured jet fuel into the North Sea. The collision triggered an explosion and fire for more than 24 hours. Footage shot from a helicopter on Tuesday morning showed that the fire seemed to be on the tanker to a large extent, with a large explosion on the side of the port.
“Solong is still descending, and the fires in Stena Immaculate have been greatly reduced,” the British Coast Guard said on Tuesday. The cargo ship drifted southward away from tankers, with a 1km (about 1/2 mile) removal area around both ships. The government said the cause of the collision is being investigated, but there are no signs of foul.
Government Minister Matthew Pennycook said it was a “fast development and dynamic situation”.
He said the air quality readings were normal, and that the Coast Guard units were “well equipped to accommodate and disperse any spills”, which included equipment deployed from ships to stop oil from spreading, as well as aircraft that could spray dispersants on spills.
The collision triggered major rescue operations by lifeboats, the Coast Guard and commercial vessels in the North Sea.
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One of the 37 crew members from both ships came ashore safely at the Grimsby Port, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of London, without major injuries. A crew member disappeared and the Coast Guard canceled the search later Monday.
The British Marine Accident Investigation Agency has begun collecting evidence of what caused Solong to hit a fixed tanker from Grangemouth, Scotland to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, fixed around 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the British coast.
The investigation will be led by the United States and Portugal (countries where the ships are marked).
The 183m (596ft) Stena Immaculate is part of the U.S. government tanker safety program, a group of commercial vessels that can be signed to carry fuel when needed. Its operator, U.S.-based maritime management company Crowley, said it carries 220,000 barrels of JET-A1 fuel in 16 tanks, with at least one of them ruptured.
The company said it is not clear how much fuel leaked into the sea.
The owner of Solong's owner Ernst Russ said that contrary to earlier reports, the ship did not carry containers of sodium cyanide, which produce harmful gases when combined with water. It said there were previously four empty containers containing the chemical.
“Our team is actively interacting with all local authorities and we will work with the cleaning team to ensure that everything is done to mitigate further impacts on the marine environment,” the company said in a statement.
UK GreenPeace said it is too early to assess the extent of any environmental damage caused by the collision, which occurs near busy fishing grounds and major seabird colonies.
Environmentalists say petroleum and chemicals pose risks to marine life, including whales and dolphins, as well as birds on coastal cliffs, including puffins, Ganuts and Guillermott.
Tom Webb, a senior lecturer in marine ecology and conservation at the University of Sheffield, said wildlife along the coast “has great biological, cultural and economic importance.”
“In addition to the wealth of marine life that is available all year round, this is crucial for many migratory species,” he said.
Alex Lukyanov, who has an oil spill at the University of Reading, said the environmental impact will depend on a variety of factors, including “spills, weather conditions, ocean currents, water waves, water waves, wind patterns and the type of oil involved.”
“This particular event is disturbing because it appears to involve continuous oil, slowly decomposing in the water,” he said. “Environmental loss can be serious.”
& Copy 2025 Canadian Press
