Crews accounted for after tanker and ship collide

All 37 crew have been accounted for after a tanker laden with jet fuel and a cargo ship burst into flames when they collided in the North Sea, an MP has said.

A major rescue operation was launched following the incident near the Humber Estuary shortly before 10:00 GMT on Monday.

Crew members were forced to abandon ship when explosions ripped through the US-registered tanker Stena Immaculate. The other vessel involved was the Solong, a Portuguese-flagged container ship carrying sodium cyanide.

Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart said he understood only one person was in hospital following the collision, with the remaining 36 "all safe and accounted for".

Maritime firm Crowley, which manages the Stena Immaculate, said there were "multiple explosions onboard" when the vessel suffered a ruptured cargo tank.

A US official confirmed the tanker was carrying "cargo in support of the Department of Defense", but added the incident "will not impact operations or combat readiness".

Earlier, the RNLI said there were reports "that a number of people had abandoned the vessels following a collision and there were fires on both ships".

Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, said he had been told there was "a massive fireball", adding: "It's too far out for us to see - about 10 miles - but we have seen the vessels bringing them in.

"They must have sent a mayday out - luckily there was a crew transfer vessel out there already.

"Since then there has been a flotilla of ambulances to pick up anyone they can find."

The condition of the casualty taken to hospital is not known.

Latest updates on the tanker collision

A Coastguard rescue helicopter was called out, alongside lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Mablethorpe and Cleethorpes, a coastguard fixed wing aircraft, and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability.

Marine services group Svitzer sent four boats to the scene.

Managing director Michael Paterson told the BBC: "They've been firefighting since they arrived and dealing with the flames. The oil and jet fuel presents a problem for them. It's obviously flammable, but there's also fumes and toxins.

"The priority for us was to save the crew. I've seen some serious incidents, but this is one of the most serious."

According to MarineTraffic, the Stena Immaculate had travelled from the Greek port of Agioi Theodoroi and was anchored by the Humber Estuary.

The Solong had been sailing from the Scottish port of Grangemouth to Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.

Its cargo of sodium cyanide is used in industry for metal cleaning, plating and extraction, and photography. It can also be used to make other chemicals.

The UK Health Security Agency said exposure to cyanide salts can cause headache, nausea, dizziness, nervousness, confusion, changes in heart rate and drowsiness. In the most serious cases, there can be heart and breathing problems or even death.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Marine Accident Investigation Branch said it had deployed a team to Grimsby.

They said: "The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has deployed a team to Grimsby following the collision of the Portuguese registered container ship Solong and the US registered oil tanker Stena Immaculate which collided in the North Sea this morning.

"Our team of inspectors and support staff are gathering evidence and undertaking a preliminary assessment of the accident to determine our next steps."

Meanwhile, the coastguard said it was assessing the "likely" counter-pollution response that might be required.

A spokesperson for environmental group Greenpeace UK said: "At this stage, it's too early to assess the extent of any environmental damage."

It added that its "thoughts are are with all those affected".

Downing Street said details of the cause of the collision were "still becoming clear".

The prime minister's official spokesman said it was an "extremely concerning situation".

He said: "We thank the emergency services for their rapid response. I understand the Department for Transport is working closely with the coastguard to help support the response to the incident."

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