Crew member missing

Ships collide: North Sea threatens natural disaster

A natural disaster looms in the North Sea following the collision between a freighter and an oil tanker.

(Bild: AP)

Following the collision between a container ship and an anchored oil tanker, not only has the number of casualties risen, but a crew member is also missing. There is now also the threat of a natural disaster in the North Sea. Greenpeace expressed "extreme concern" about possible environmental damage.

More than 30 people were injured and brought ashore in boats, as the harbour master of Grimsby, Martyn Boyers, said. According to the owner of the container ship Solong, one crew member was missing. 

Both ships in flames, enormous clouds of smoke
The British sea rescue organization Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) confirmed reports of "fires on both ships". Images on British television showed thick black clouds of smoke and flames at the scene of the accident around 16 kilometers off the coast.

Following the collision between a freighter and an oil tanker, a natural disaster is looming in the North Sea.

(Bild: AP)

(Bild: AP)

(Bild: AP)

(Bild: AP)

The collision occurred early this morning near the port city of Hull in East Yorkshire, England. A coastguard helicopter, an airplane, lifeboats from four towns and other ships from the surrounding area were activated for the large-scale rescue operation.

Harbourmaster Boyers spoke of 32 casualties. Local Member of Parliament Graham Stuart told the online service X that 37 people had been injured.

Crew member missing
According to the owner of the cargo ship Solong, the German shipping company Ernst Russ, one crew member was missing. The 13 other crew members had been brought safely ashore. The search for the missing person is continuing. Both ships were severely damaged by the collision and the resulting fire.

The operator of the oil tanker Stena Immaculate spoke of "numerous explosions" as a result of which the crew had abandoned the ship. The US shipping company Crowley, based in Florida, also reported that a tank filled with kerosene was damaged. "A fire broke out as a result of the collision and there are reports of oil leaking."

Container ship rammed oil tanker
The oil tanker was anchored off the North Sea coast near the port city of Hull when it was rammed by the container ship. Immediately after the accident, the emergency plan intended for such cases was triggered. In cooperation with local authorities, the fire was contained and the ship secured.

The owner of "Stena Immaculate" is the Swedish shipping company Stena Bulk. It announced that the entire crew was alive. According to the Bloomberg news agency, the tanker was on its way to Greece. According to information from Washington, the tanker had been chartered by the US military's Military Sealift Command. The command operates ships with civilian crews that carry out sea transports for the US Department of Defense.

Greenpeace concerned
According to the British Coastguard, it is "likely" that the accident will result in pollution of the sea. According to Lloyd's List Intelligence, a website specializing in maritime transport, the cargo ship was carrying an undetermined amount of alcohol and fifteen containers of sodium cyanide.

The environmental organization Greenpeace expressed "extreme concern" about the events. "As more and more information emerges about what the ships were carrying, we are extremely concerned about the multiple toxic dangers these chemicals could pose to marine life," said Greenpeace scientist Paul Johnston in Exeter, UK. Apparently, the kerosene, which is toxic to fish and other marine animals, was released into the water near a resting place for harbor porpoises.

Repeated collisions
UK Transport Minister Heidi Alexander expressed her concern. She is in contact with the authorities and the coastguard "to monitor further developments in the situation". A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the situation "extremely worrying". According to a spokesperson, the German Central Command for Maritime Emergencies sent a multi-purpose vessel and a surveillance aircraft to support the British coastguard.

There have been several collisions between ships in the North Sea over the past ten years. In a collision between two cargo ships off the island of Helgoland in October 2023, three people lost their lives and two others have been missing ever since. In 2015, the "Flinterstar", a freighter with more than 500 tons of oil and diesel on board, sank off the Belgian coast following a collision with a tanker.