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14 March 2025
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Container ship hits oil tanker off the coast of England
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On 10 March 2025, the container ship MV Solong collided with the oil tanker MV Stena Immaculate, which was at anchor in the North Sea off the coast of East Yorkshire, England. The collision triggered a major rescue operation by lifeboats, coast guard aircraft and commercial vessels in the foggy North Sea. Solong, a Portuguese ship flagged out of Madeira, was carrying alcohol but was also initially thought to have been carrying sodium cyanide. The US-registered Stena Immaculate was carrying aviation fuel on a charter for the United States Air Force (USAF); both ships also had a supply of heavy fuel for their own use. Following several explosions, both vessels caught fire and were abandoned. They remained entangled for the rest of the day, when they separated. Solong began to drift. Thirty-six people were rescued, with one hospitalised, and one missing, presumed dead.
Solong had departed from Grangemouth and was en route to Rotterdam, due to arrive on the evening of 10 March 2025.Stena Immaculate had travelled from Agioi Theodoroi in Greece and was at anchor 14 nautical miles (26km) north-east of Spurn Head, waiting to arrive at Killingholme. This location was a common but uncharted anchorage for vessels off the Humber; five other tankers and three bulk carriers were also anchored at this location at the time of the collision.
At 01:30 GMT on 10 March, Solong passed Longstone Lighthouse off the Northumberland coast, before taking a 150° heading. At 09:47, it struck Stena Immaculate at a cruising speed of around 16.4 knots (30.4km/h). Crews reported multiple explosions.Abdul Khalique, head of Liverpool John Moores University's Maritime Centre, said that "MV Stena Immaculate's heading was approximately around 065° when she was hit on her port side by MV Solong at 9:48:07 between the rear half of MV Stena Immaculate's length". The ships may have remained connected for up to four minutes until disengaging. Only one of the tanker's cargo tank compartments was ruptured.
Early reports suggested that a "massive fireball" had engulfed the tanker after the collision, which remained on fire with her cargo leaking into the sea. Her on-board fire suppression system appears to have functioned as required. Solong was also reported to be on fire. HM Coastguard was alerted to the incident at 09:48.[38] RNLI crews from Bridlington, Mablethorpe, Skegness and Cleethorpes were deployed. A crew transfer vessel was in the area already and rescue helicopter, boats and a fire-fighting aircraft were also deployed. Occupants of both vessels abandoned ship. The Port of Grimsby East stated that 32 people had been brought ashore but others were unaccounted for. One person was hospitalised. Stena Bulk confirmed that all 20 onboard Stena Immaculate had been accounted for and were safe but by nightfall one member from Solong, a Filipino national, was missing after having entered the water and not been among those rescued. The search was called off later that night, the crewmember presumed dead.
The Met Office had issued a warning of fog for the Humber area which was valid at the time of the incident, although this would not affect the ships' automatic identification systems (AIS) and they would still be able to warn other vessels of their approach.
Aftermath
A three-nautical-mile (5.6km), 2 000-foot (610m) no-fly zone was imposed around the affected area, with a one-kilometre (0.62mi) exclusion zone around each vessel. All maritime traffic was confined to port along the east coast. Thick black smoke and fires still burned on 11 March 2025, hampering early investigation and further fires were suspected below decks.
The two ships initially remained entangled, but separated overnight of their own accord and although the fire on board Stena Immaculate was still burning the next day, it had greatly reduced in intensity. The ship had sustained a large hole in its side and was seen to be taking on water, although on-board generators were still operating. Solong drifted into the Humber, shadowed by several tugboats. Badly damaged and still alight after the fire on Stena Immaculate had burnt out, Solong was initially considered likely to sink; whilst Stena Immaculate was built with a double hull and watertight compartments designed to mitigate against the possibility. By the afternoon of 11 March, both ships were considered likely to remain afloat. By 15 March, Solong had drifted several miles to the south and could be seen off the Lincolnshire coast. Stena Immaculate remained at anchor where she had been struck. Firefighting tugs were in the vicinity of both vessels, although by this point only isolated pockets of fire were present on Solong. Salvors had boarded both vessels to assess damage and aerial surveillance indicated risks of further environmental damage were minimal.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) is leading an investigation with assistance from the US National Transportation Safety Board and Portuguese Marine Safety Investigation Authority, part of which will involve recovery of the vessels' voyage data recorders. The investigation's early findings reported that Solong was travelling a route it regularly took.
Solong had departed from Grangemouth and was en route to Rotterdam, due to arrive on the evening of 10 March 2025.Stena Immaculate had travelled from Agioi Theodoroi in Greece and was at anchor 14 nautical miles (26km) north-east of Spurn Head, waiting to arrive at Killingholme. This location was a common but uncharted anchorage for vessels off the Humber; five other tankers and three bulk carriers were also anchored at this location at the time of the collision.
At 01:30 GMT on 10 March, Solong passed Longstone Lighthouse off the Northumberland coast, before taking a 150° heading. At 09:47, it struck Stena Immaculate at a cruising speed of around 16.4 knots (30.4km/h). Crews reported multiple explosions.Abdul Khalique, head of Liverpool John Moores University's Maritime Centre, said that "MV Stena Immaculate's heading was approximately around 065° when she was hit on her port side by MV Solong at 9:48:07 between the rear half of MV Stena Immaculate's length". The ships may have remained connected for up to four minutes until disengaging. Only one of the tanker's cargo tank compartments was ruptured.
Early reports suggested that a "massive fireball" had engulfed the tanker after the collision, which remained on fire with her cargo leaking into the sea. Her on-board fire suppression system appears to have functioned as required. Solong was also reported to be on fire. HM Coastguard was alerted to the incident at 09:48.[38] RNLI crews from Bridlington, Mablethorpe, Skegness and Cleethorpes were deployed. A crew transfer vessel was in the area already and rescue helicopter, boats and a fire-fighting aircraft were also deployed. Occupants of both vessels abandoned ship. The Port of Grimsby East stated that 32 people had been brought ashore but others were unaccounted for. One person was hospitalised. Stena Bulk confirmed that all 20 onboard Stena Immaculate had been accounted for and were safe but by nightfall one member from Solong, a Filipino national, was missing after having entered the water and not been among those rescued. The search was called off later that night, the crewmember presumed dead.
The Met Office had issued a warning of fog for the Humber area which was valid at the time of the incident, although this would not affect the ships' automatic identification systems (AIS) and they would still be able to warn other vessels of their approach.
Aftermath
A three-nautical-mile (5.6km), 2 000-foot (610m) no-fly zone was imposed around the affected area, with a one-kilometre (0.62mi) exclusion zone around each vessel. All maritime traffic was confined to port along the east coast. Thick black smoke and fires still burned on 11 March 2025, hampering early investigation and further fires were suspected below decks.
The two ships initially remained entangled, but separated overnight of their own accord and although the fire on board Stena Immaculate was still burning the next day, it had greatly reduced in intensity. The ship had sustained a large hole in its side and was seen to be taking on water, although on-board generators were still operating. Solong drifted into the Humber, shadowed by several tugboats. Badly damaged and still alight after the fire on Stena Immaculate had burnt out, Solong was initially considered likely to sink; whilst Stena Immaculate was built with a double hull and watertight compartments designed to mitigate against the possibility. By the afternoon of 11 March, both ships were considered likely to remain afloat. By 15 March, Solong had drifted several miles to the south and could be seen off the Lincolnshire coast. Stena Immaculate remained at anchor where she had been struck. Firefighting tugs were in the vicinity of both vessels, although by this point only isolated pockets of fire were present on Solong. Salvors had boarded both vessels to assess damage and aerial surveillance indicated risks of further environmental damage were minimal.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) is leading an investigation with assistance from the US National Transportation Safety Board and Portuguese Marine Safety Investigation Authority, part of which will involve recovery of the vessels' voyage data recorders. The investigation's early findings reported that Solong was travelling a route it regularly took.