Dozens injured

Oil tanker on fire after collision with cargo ship

(Bild: Screenshot kameraOne/Bartek Smialek)

A serious shipping accident has occurred off the coast of East Yorkshire with at least one casualty: The US-flagged oil tanker, "MV Stena Immaculate", has caught fire following a collision with a Portuguese container ship - sparking fears of an environmental disaster.

32 injured people have so far been brought ashore following the accident off the north-east English county of Yorkshire, the head of the Grimsby East Port Authority announced on Monday.

The incident occurred in the morning near Hull while the "Stena Immaculate" was at anchor. Eyewitnesses reported huge clouds of smoke rising above the scene of the accident. Meanwhile, the British Coastguard stated that it was "likely" that the accident had resulted in pollution of the sea. 

Initial reports indicate that both ships are now on fire. What is particularly worrying is that the tanker is said to have been carrying oil and chemicals - which increases the risk of a serious environmental disaster. The Swedish shipping company Stena Bulk confirmed that it owns the oil tanker.

The company would not provide any further details. According to media reports, the cargo ship involved is a vessel named "Solong" or "So Long", which belongs to a German owner.

Cause of the accident still unclear
A massive rescue operation is underway: several sea rescue boats have been alerted. Firefighters and search and rescue helicopters from the British Coastguard have also been deployed. A spokesperson for HM Coastguard confirmed: "The Coastguard is currently coordinating the emergency response following a collision between a tanker and a cargo vessel off the coast of East Yorkshire."

"The alert was raised at 9:48am. A rescue helicopter from Humberside is at the scene along with several lifeboats and a reconnaissance aircraft." The exact cause of the collision is still unclear.