Cargo Ship Captain Arrested After Fatal Collision with US Military-Chartered Tanker Off UK Coast

The 59-year-old Master of a German-owned containership has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter after a collision between a US military-chartered tanker off England’s East Yorkshire coast that has left one crew member missing and both vessels on fire.

The incident occurred at approximately 10:00 UTC Monday when the containership SOLONG struck the anchored US-flagged tanker STENA IMMACULATE near Hull, where the latter was awaiting berth at the Port of Killingholme. The STENA IMMACULATE, operated by US-based Crowley, was carrying 220,000 barrels of Jet-A1 fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks when at least one of its tanks was ruptured in the collision.

AIS data shows the SOLONG was traveling at about 16 knots and took no evasive maneuvers when it allided directly with the STENA IMMACULATE on a routine voyage from the Port of Grangemouth, Scotland, to Rotterdam, Netherlands. A crew member on board the tanker described that the incident came out of nowhere.

SOLONG’s German shipowner Ernst Russ confirmed that the master of the containership, a Russian, has been detained by Humberside police. “The master and our entire team are actively assisting with the investigations. Out of respect for the investigation and all involved we will not comment further at this time.”

Humberside Police have launched a criminal investigation into the incident, working alongside the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch.

“Humberside Police have taken primacy for the investigation of any potential criminal offences which arise from the collision between the two vessels,” said Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Nicholson. “Following enquiries undertaken by my team, we have arrested a 59-year-old man on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision, this follows the conclusion of search operations by HM Coastguard for the missing crew member of the SOLONG.”

A major emergency response was mobilized, including two HM Coastguard helicopters, multiple RNLI lifeboats, a coastguard fixed-wing aircraft, and several vessels with firefighting capabilities.

Thirty-six crew members were safely evacuated to shore, with one crew member from the SOLONG remaining unaccounted for after extensive search operations. Crowley has confirmed all crew members aboard the STENA IMMACULATE are safe.

As of Tuesday at noon local time, Chief Coastguard Pat O’Callaghan reported that the SOLONG remains on fire, while the fire aboard the STENA IMMACULATE has significantly diminished.

Authorities are also reporting that the SOLONG separated from the STENA IMMACULATE at 11:20 pm Monday night and began drifting southwards, prompting authorities to establish a 1-kilometer exclusion zone around both vessels.

The STENA IMMACULATE, which participates in the U.S. Maritime Administration’s Tanker Security Program and was on charter to the Military Sealift Command at the time of the incident.

“While under charter on this voyage for the Military Sealift Command, the tanker was anchored while it awaited berth availability at the Port of Killingholme, where it was due to make a standard delivery of fuel as part of a routine service under this program when it was struck,” explained Cal Hayden, vice president of Crowley global ship management.

A spokesperson for the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board told gCaptain they are investigating the incident in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard.

In the latest update from Crowley, the company said it is actively working with the U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency on salvage operations while prioritizing their mariners’ well-being and environmental risk mitigation. Initial assessments indicate limited environmental impact due to fuel evaporation, and air quality monitoring shows low or normal levels.

“Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the incident and its impacts, and we defer to them for any question about the cause,” Crowley said.

Environmental concerns are being closely monitored, with the Counter Pollution and Salvage Team developing response plans. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has confirmed that air quality at ground level remains within normal levels, while the UK Health Security Agency has assessed the public health risk as very low.

The Secretary of State’s Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP) is coordinating with ship owners, salvors, and insurance companies as the investigation into the incident continues. While foul play has not been ruled out, authorities are exploring all possible causes of the collision.

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