The incident took place in the North Sea near the city of Hull, with the alarm sounded at 9:48 a.m. (UTC).
According to authorities, at least 32 individuals sustained injuries and were promptly brought ashore for medical assistance.
A fleet of lifeboats, firefighting vessels, a helicopter, and a fixed-wing aircraft were promptly deployed in response to the incident.
“Reports indicate that several individuals abandoned the vessels following the collision, with fires igniting on both ships,” stated the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
Key Information About the Vessels
Reports from multiple sources suggest that the oil tanker involved in the collision was the US-flagged chemical and oil products carrier, MV Stena Immaculate.
At the time of the incident, the tanker was anchored, as confirmed by the ship-tracking website VesselFinder.
Swedish company Stena Bulk, the owner of the oil tanker, confirmed the incident and stated that it was being operated by US-based maritime company Crowley. They also confirmed that all crew members were accounted for.
The other vessel involved was identified as the Portugal-flagged container ship Solong, which was on its way from Grangemouth, Scotland, to Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The Solang is owned by German shipping company Reederei Koepping.
Ongoing Rescue Efforts
The British Maritime and Coastguard agency announced that they were “currently coordinating the emergency response to reports of a collision between a tanker and cargo vessel off the coast of East Yorkshire.”
“The situation remains ongoing, with assessments being conducted to determine the necessary counter pollution response,” stated a spokesperson from the coastguard.
The International Maritime Organization, a UN agency, also expressed awareness of the situation.
Edited by: Natalie Muller
