British police arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter for finding answers about why a cargo ship hit an oil tanker and was transporting jets in the U.S. military in eastern England, both of which were burning. A sailor was assumed to be dead.
Humberside police said the 59-year-old was “suspected for aggravated manslaughter in connection with the collision.” The man was not named by police but was not charged.
British officials on Monday, when the Portuguese registered container ship Solong was poured into the North Sea, causing damage to birds and marine life. The collision triggered an explosion and a fire for more than 24 hours.
On Tuesday morning, footage shot from a helicopter showed that the fire seemed mostly to be on the tanker and there was a large explosion on the side of the port.
“Solong is still descent, and the fires in Stena Immaindrical have been greatly reduced,” the British Coast Guard said on Tuesday. The cargo ship drifted southward away from tankers, with a single exclusion zone around both ships. The government said the cause of the collision is being investigated, but there are no signs of foul.
Cargo ships are expected to sink
Transport Minister Mike Kane told the House of Commons. But he warned that this was a fast-changing situation and said the cargo ship could sink.
The government said the air quality readings were normal and the risks of onshore public health were “very low”.
The collision triggered major rescue operations by lifeboats, the Coast Guard and commercial vessels in the North Sea.
Social media footage obtained by AFP News partners showed smoke rolling after an oil tanker and a cargo ship collided in the North Sea.
One of the 37 crew members from both ships had no major injuries except on the safe shore at the Port of Grimsby, about 240 kilometers north of London. A crew member disappeared and the Coast Guard canceled the search later Monday.
“Our work assumption is that, very sadly, the sailor has passed away,” Kane said.
The British Marine Accident Investigation Agency has begun collecting evidence of what caused Zoro (from Grangemouth, Scotland, to Rotterdam, the Netherlands) to hit a fixed tanker, which is fixed about 16 kilometers from the British coast.
The investigation will be led by the United States and Portugal (countries where the ships are marked).
Fuel from the U.S. Army
The 183-meter Stena Immaculate is part of the U.S. government tanker safety program, a group of commercial vessels that can be signed to carry fuel when needed. Its operator, U.S.-based maritime management company Crowley, said it carries 220,000 barrels of JET-A1 fuel in 16 tanks, with at least one of them ruptured.
The company said it is not clear how much fuel leaked into the sea.
The owner of Solong’s owner Ernst Russ said that contrary to earlier reports, the ship did not carry containers of sodium cyanide, which produce harmful gases when combined with water. It said there were previously four empty containers containing the chemical.
“Our team is actively interacting with all local authorities and we will work with the cleaning team to ensure that every effort is made to mitigate further impacts on the marine environment,” the company said in a statement.
UK GreenPeace said it is too early to assess the extent of any environmental damage caused by the collision, which occurs near busy fishing grounds and major seabird colonies.
Environmentalists say petroleum and chemicals pose risks to marine life, including whales and dolphins, as well as birds on coastal cliffs, including puffins, Ganuts and Guillermott.
Tom Webb, a senior lecturer in marine ecology and conservation at the University of Sheffield, said wildlife along that shore “has great biological, cultural and economic importance.”
“In addition to the wealth of marine life that is available all year round, this is crucial for many migratory species,” he said.
Alex Lukyanov, who leaks oil at the University of Reading, said the environmental impact will depend on a variety of factors, including “spills, weather conditions, ocean currents, water waves, water waves, wind patterns and the type of oil involved.”
“This particular event is disturbing because it appears to involve continuous oil, slowly decomposing in the water,” he said. “Environmental loss can be serious.”
