The captain of the cargo ship, Solong, that collided with a US-flagged oil tanker in the North Sea on Monday, is a Russian national as per the vessel’s owner.
The Solong crashed into the oil tanker Stena Immaculate, which was anchored and carrying jet fuel for the US military. The collision sparked fires on both ships.
British police arrested a 59-year-old man from the Solong following the incident on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.
The cargo ship is owned by Ernst Russ, a German-based maritime company. A spokesperson from Ernst Russ confirmed in a statement that the arrested man was the captain of the ship and a Russian national.
The Russian Embassy in London is yet to respond about the development. However, a spokesperson from the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer office has denied any suggestion of “foul play.”
The rest of the crew included a mix of Russians and Filipinos. 13 members from the Solong were rescued while one is presumed dead. The MV Stena Immaculate had its entire 23-person crew rescued.
Port authorities shocked after mysterious crash
Port of Grimsby East chief Martyn Boyers expressed shock over the severity of the incident, labelling it a ‘mystery.’ He questioned how the Solong failed to detect the tanker, stating that vessels have “highly sophisticated” technical equipment to avoid collisions.
“How did that vessel (the Solong) continue plowing into the berth vessel? There must have been some warning signs. They must have been able to detect it on the radar,” he told CNN.
The Stena Immaculate is one of 10 tankers in a US government program that enables the military to quickly contract the vessel for fuel shipments.
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