Most of the front pages have photographs of the burning tanker and cargo ship which collided off the Yorkshire coast.
They capture the orange flames and blackened hulls of the vessels alongside the clouds of thick smoke and steam as water was pumped onto them by firefighting ships.
The Daily Mail calls it “horror in the North Sea”, asking how a vessel carrying sodium cyanide could plough into a tanker full of US Navy jet fuel – in broad daylight.
“Foul play not ruled out” is the Telegraph’s headline, although the paper goes on to say early indications suggest this is not the case. It quotes a maritime expert saying: “I would rule out any conspiracies or terrorism to as near zero as you can at this point”.
Under the headline “Eco-disaster fears after ships collide,” the Times reports that emergency crews are battling to avoid what it calls “Britain’s biggest environmental disaster in a generation”.
It says the East Yorkshire coast is “a haven for seabirds and marine life”, with “sensitive habitats”. These include Bempton Cliffs, the home of England’s biggest gannet colony.
The “I” says Greenpeace has warned that it’s too early to say how much damage there will be but the “speed of the response” will be a key factor.
On its front page, the Mirror describes what happened as a “catastrophe”. Its opinion column argues that shipping is “crucial” to Britain’s economy, and it is essential to keep well-used routes safe.
A separate environmental concern preoccupies the Guardian. It warns that microplastic pollution is threatening food supplies, by damaging the ability of plants to photosynthesise.
According to the paper, a new international study suggests between 4-14% of the world’s staple crops – of wheat, rice and maize – is being lost due to the particles.
There’s anger in the Sun that the Sentencing Council has, in its words, “refused” a government request, that it reconsider its new guidance for judges in England and Wales.
The council is seeking legal advice, after concerns were expressed that the guidelines could lead to a “two-tier” system, which favoured defendants from ethnic minorities. Under the headline “legal weasels”, the paper’s opinion column accuses the judges of being guilty of “monstrous overreach”.
“Defence staff lose four phones every day”, is the lead in the Express. It says that more than 260 Ministry of Defence (MoD) phones have gone missing in two months. The information came in response to a parliamentary question from the shadow defence secretary, James Cartlidge. He describes the situation as “extraordinary”.
The MoD says it takes the security of defence assets extremely seriously, and has “robust procedures” to prevent losses and thefts.
Finally, the Financial Times suggests the row that has engulfed Reform UK in recent days might have put Elon Musk off supporting the party. After a visit to the US in December, Nigel Farage announced that the Tesla and SpaceX boss was considering making a significant donation to Reform.
But the FT says it’s been told, by people close to the billionaire, that he would now support a “credible alternative party”.