One sailor on the Solong off the coast of Britain is presumed dead after it collided with the Stena Immaculate oil tanker. Photo by Adam Vaughan/EPA-EFE
March 11 (UPI) — British Member of Parliament Mike Kane said Tuesday that a sailor from the cargo vessel Solong is believed dead following a crash between that ship and an oil tanker carrying jet fuel for the United States military. The incident occurred Monday off the coast of England in the North Sea about 10 miles off the coast of East Yorkshire County, closest to the city of Hull, between the Stena Immaculate oil tanker and the Portuguese-flagged Solong.
According to the ship tracking site MarineTraffic, the Stena Immaculate, which had been chartered by the U.S. military to transport Jet-A1 fuel to the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command, was anchored when it was allegedly struck by the Solong at around 9:48 a.m. local time.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, but heavy fog was reported to be present at the time of the incident. Videos show the ships both had been set ablaze, and while the flames aboard the Stena have been extinguished, the Solong has been reported to still be burning and is not expected to remain afloat.
Earlier reports that the cargo ship had been carrying the potentially dangerous chemical sodium cyanide have since been dismissed as incorrect.
The rest of the Solong’s 14-member crew have been accounted for, as has the Stena’s entire complement.
A spokesperson for Downing Street announced Tuesday that regarding the cause of the crash “there doesn’t appear to be any suggestions of foul play at this time.”