Alarms have been raised with the British Coast Guard following a collision between a tanker and a cargo ship in the North Sea, with both vessels engulfed in flames and fears of a major fuel leak. So far, 32 people have been brought to shore alive.

The vessels involved are an American-flagged oil tanker, the Stena Immaculate, and the Solong, a Portuguese-flagged container ship.

Erik Hanell, CEO of Stena Bulk, confirmed to BBC that the entire crew of the MV Stena Immaculate tanker is accounted for and safe. This includes more than 20 people. Stena Bulk jointly owns the ship with its American partner Crowley, which manages it.

British coastguard forces are responding to reports of a collision between a tanker and a cargo ship off the coast of Yorkshire (northern England), in the North Sea, the Maritime and Coastguard Service announced earlier.

“A Coastguard rescue helicopter took off from Humberside to the scene, along with lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Mapplethorpe, and Cleethorpes, while a Royal Coastguard fixed-wing aircraft and nearby firefighting vessels have also been deployed,” the agency said in a statement. “The incident is ongoing.”

The incident was reported at 10:48 a.m. local time.

How the U.S. Military is Involved

The tanker involved in the crash was part of a program for ten ships capable of transporting oil for the US military in “times of need,” according to US Naval Officers. The group said the Stena Immaculate was re-branded in August 2023, as part of a program by the US Department of Defense and the US Maritime Administration. The program was to include a merchant fleet of ten ships that would be ready to carry supplies “in times of need” for the US. They would continue commercial operations but could be chartered by the US government on a short-term basis.

It is not known whether the Stena Immaculate was chartered under the program at the time of the crash or not, according to SkyNews.

Ships Abandoned

Several crew members are believed to have abandoned the ships after the collision, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) said in its latest statement, adding that there were reports of fires on both ships. Search and rescue teams from across the region have been deployed to respond to the incident.

The British Coastguard statement:

“HM Coastguard is currently coordinating the emergency response to reports of a collision between a tanker and a cargo ship off the coast of East Yorkshire. The alarm was raised at 9:48 a.m. A Coastguard rescue helicopter was called from Humberside, along with lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Mapplethorpe, and Cleethorpes, a HM Coastguard fixed-wing aircraft, and nearby firefighting vessels. The incident remains ongoing.”

According to SkyNews, at 9:48 a.m. UK time, an initial collision alert was raised. At 10:20 a.m., HM Coastguard deployed a number of lifeboats to support its response, including Bridlington, Cleethorpes, Mablethorpe, and Skegness lifeboats.

By 11:40 a.m., Cleethorpes had withdrawn, while Bridlington, Mablethorpe, and Skegness continued to support search and rescue efforts.

The exact movements of the vessels at the time of the collision are still under investigation. The British Coastguard and other relevant authorities are working to determine the cause of the incident and the extent of the damage.

This is a developing story, and more updates will be provided as they become available.

Vessel Movements at the Time of the Collision

Source: SkyNews, BBC