Fiery Collision at Sea: Two Ships Aflame, One on the Brink of Sinking!

By Phil Noble

WITHERNSEA, England, March 11 (Reuters) – Two vessels caught fire off teh English coast on tuesday, following an unexplained collision that left a tanker transporting U.S. military jet fuel with a meaningful breach in its hull and a container ship adrift and at risk of sinking.

A crew member from the Portuguese-flagged container ship Solong is presumed dead, and junior transport minister Mike Kane indicated that the vessel is unlikely to remain afloat.

The coastguard reported that thirty-six individuals were rescued from the scene, with no one else unaccounted for.

The tanker Stena Immaculate was anchored when it was struck by the smaller Solong, resulting in massive fires and explosions while releasing fuel into the ocean.

Aerial footage revealed extensive damage to Stena Immaculate’s hull; though,flames appeared to have diminished significantly after the initial incident.

“The Solong remains ablaze while fire on board Stena Immaculate has lessened. Safety vessels equipped for firefighting are present at the site with more en route,” stated the coastguard.

‘UNLIKELY TO STAY AFLOAT’
The Solong showed severe burn damage in separate footage and had drifted south overnight. A one-kilometer exclusion zone was established around both ships.

“Modeling indicates that if Solong stays afloat, it will remain offshore for several hours,” Kane noted. “However, coastguard assessments suggest it is improbable that this vessel will continue to float.”

Boskalis, a Dutch marine salvage company tasked with recovering Stena Immaculate, reported four ships carrying foam agents were heading to assist.

Equipment aimed at reducing marine pollution—such as oil spill dispersants and containment booms—was prepared by British authorities. The potential environmental impact is under evaluation by both government agencies and local environmental groups while aerial monitoring continues.

According to a statement from UK Health security Agency officials, any public health risks on land are currently considered minimal.

UNEXPLAINED INCIDENT
Authorities have yet to clarify how this collision occurred or why modern safety systems failed during transit.

Data from maritime analytics platform MarineTraffic indicated that 183-meter-long Stena Immaculate was anchored near Immingham when it was hit by 140-meter-long Solong en route to Rotterdam.

Shipping sources noted that Solong was traveling close to its maximum speed of approximately 18-19 knots during its passage through familiar waters previously navigated without incident.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson mentioned there appears to be no indication of foul play related to this event. Officials confirmed it does not pose a national security concern; two maritime security sources affirmed there were no signs of malicious intent involved in this occurrence.

Stena Immaculate carried 220,000 barrels of jet fuel across sixteen segregated tanks; however, Crowley—the U.S.-based logistics firm operating the vessel—could not confirm how much fuel had leaked after one tank sustained damage during impact.

Owners of Solong clarified their ship did not carry sodium cyanide despite earlier reports suggesting or else; they are monitoring four containers previously used for storing such substances.

Concerns arise regarding potential sea pollution affecting protected seabird populations like puffins and gannets along with their fish prey due to spilled jet fuel.

This incident unfolded Monday morning within busy shipping lanes prompting extensive rescue operations involving aircrafts alongside lifeboats among other resources.

While Britain’s Marine Accident Examination Branch will collect preliminary evidence regarding this crash’s circumstances overall investigative responsibility lies with U.S. and Portuguese authorities—the respective flag states involved.