A Portuguese container ship has collided with a U.S.-flagged oil tanker while the tanker was anchored in the North Sea, on the eastern coast of England, with both ships catching on fire, according to officials.
“HM Coastguard is currently co-ordinating the emergency response to reports of a collision between a tanker and cargo vessel off the coast of East Yorkshire resulting in fires aboard both vessels,” the UK coast guard said in a statement.
The U.S. ship was identified as the Stena Immaculate, while the Portuguese-flagged container ship was identified as the Solong. Both ships sustained significant damage and were abandoned by their crews.
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One of the Solong’s crew members remains missing in the wake of the collision, while the other 13 have been brought safely to shore, according to Ernst Russ, the manager of the container vessel.
All 23 crew members of the Stena Immaculate were safely rescued, a spokesperson for Crowley, the ship’s operator, told ABC News.
Thirty-two people were injured in the incident and transported to a nearby hospital, according to Port of Grimsby East CEO Martyn Boyers.
PHOTO: Fire and rescue services attend after a collision between oil tanker MV Stena Immaculate and the cargo vessel MV Solong on March 10, 2025. (Getty Images)
The incident occurred at approximately 10 a.m. UTC, while the Stena Immaculate was anchored about 10 miles off the North Sea coast near Hull, England, according to Crowley.
The tanker was carrying jet fuel for the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command, according to a Crowley spokesperson.
A cargo tank containing Jet-A1 fuel ruptured and multiple explosions occurred onboard the tanker, Crowley said.
Crowley is “actively working with public agencies to contain the fire and secure the vessel,” the company said in a statement.
“Our first priority is the safety of the people and environment,” it added.
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The cause of the collision is under investigation, Boyers said.
He noted that there was likely fog in the area at the time of the incident.
A spokesperson for U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said details of the collision were “still becoming clear” and did not want to speculate on the cause.
“We’re obviously monitoring the situation, we’ll continue to co-ordinate the response and we’re grateful to emergency personnel for their continued efforts,” the spokesperson said, calling it an “extremely concerning situation.”
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said it has deployed a team to Grimsby, adding, “Our team of inspectors and support staff are gathering evidence and undertaking a preliminary assessment of the accident to determine our next steps.”
PHOTO: A person walks by a sign for the Port of Grimsby, after a fuel tanker, operated by U.S. company Crowley and owned by Stena, and a container vessel named Solong collided off the coast of northeast England, in Grimsby, Britain, March 10, 2025. (Phil Noble/Reuters)
A coast guard helicopter has been sent, as well as a fixed-wing aircraft, several lifeboats and vessels with firefighting capabilities, the coast guard said.
“The incident remains ongoing and an assessment of the likely counter pollution response required is being enacted,” the coast guard said in a statement.
Wildlife charity Yorkshire Wildlife Trust said it is closely following the “deeply concerning incident” to see if there is any pollution into the North Sea. The region features the Humber Estuary, home to protected bird colonies. There are also “significant numbers” of Atlantic grey seals in the area, the group said.
“If pollution spillage enters the Humber, this could potentially be devasting for the wildlife of the estuary, including important fish stocks and tens of thousands of overwintering and migrating birds who use the mud flats,” Martin Slater, director of operations at the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said in a statement.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Container ship collides with anchored US-flagged oil tanker in North Sea originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
