A moving container ship collided with an anchored tanker in the North Sea waters of the United Kingdom in early March. The incident happened unexpectedly and took the crew of the tanker by surprise. The crew is being praised for its quick actions preventing further disaster, but the collision led to one fatality and a major fuel leak.
A Fatal Collision
The collision occurred between a Portuguese-flagged container ship, Solong, and the U.S. tanker Stena Immaculate on the morning of March 10 near the Humber River in the United Kingdom. The Solong was enroute to Rotterdam in the Netherlands from Grangemouth in Scotland when it collided with the Stena Immaculate, which was anchored.
Reports indicate that the morning was foggy, but that visibility was adequate and that the Solong should have seen the other vessel and avoided the collision. In total, it struck the Stena Immaculate three times. The first strike was enough to move the large tanker by 40 feet.
The collisions were enough to rupture a fuel tank and start a fire. The crew were unable to put out the fire and abandoned the ship. One crew member on the Solong, Filipino national Mark Angelo Pernia, died in the incident, although his body was never recovered.
Captain Charged
The exact causes of the collision are not certain, but the captain of the Solong, Vladimir Motin, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter. He is currently in custody in the UK and his trial is set to begin in London on April 14.
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) is currently investigating the incident. The final report will provide insight into the causes of the accident. While the U.S. tanker was part of a special fleet that provides fuel for Pentagon operations and some have speculated sabotage, the MAIB say is no evidence the accident was intentional.
The incident seems more likely to be due to human error. The location of the tanker was available to all vessels in the area and the crew of the container ship should have seen it. The impact was sudden and unexpected. It kept striking the tanker for ten minutes, and the crew of the tanker reported seeing no one on the Solong’s bridge during the incident. Another possibility is a technical malfunction, such as a steering failure.
Aftermath and Cleanup
The biggest tragedy of the collision is the loss of life, but the aftermath of the accident has other dire consequences. Both vessels were severely damaged. The damage to the tanker resulted in a fuel leak that threatens nearby wildlife. The incident occurred close to areas important for seabird colonies and breeding grounds for porpoises.
The spill is also likely to affect beaches on the east coast of the UK. Residents are concerned about the debris and dead birds washing onto shore. The cleanup effort is ongoing and expected to last for weeks.
Accidents like these are devastating in the maritime industry, especially when they lead to loss of life. Improved technologies and training help prevent them, but maritime collisions unfortunately still happen.