UK Police Arrest Man For Manslaughter After North Sea Ship Collision

British police have arrested a 59-year-old man on suspicion of gross negligence and manslaughter following a fatal collision between two ships in the North Sea on Monday

The crash, which occurred off the eastern coast of England, involved a Portugal-registered cargo vessel, Solong, and a U.S.-flagged tanker, MV Stena Immaculate, carrying jet fuel for the U.S. military.

The impact caused explosions and fires that burnt for more than 24 hours.

Emergency response teams rescued 37 crew members aboard the two vessels, bringing them to shore without major injuries. However, authorities have presumed one sailor dead after the search for the missing crew member was called off late Monday.

Neither vessel is expected to sink, transport minister Heidi Alexander said in a statement after an earlier assessment had said the Solong was unlikely to remain afloat.

The police announced that they have a suspect in custody as the investigation continues.

“We have arrested a 59-year-old man on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision,” police said in a statement.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch has launched an inquiry into the cause of the incident. The investigation will be led by the U.S. and Portugal, where the ships are registered.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman said there was currently no suggestion of “foul play” in the crash but said an investigation is ongoing.

The Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks, but it was unclear how much of it was spilt after at least one tank was hit, Crowley, the U.S. logistics group which operated the vessel, said on Monday.

Meanwhile, Solong’s owner, German shipping company Ernst Russ, denied earlier reports that the vessel was carrying sodium cyanide, clarifying that it only had empty containers that had previously held the chemical.

UK Police Arrest Man For Manslaughter After North Sea Ship Collision is first published on The Whistler Newspaper