MAIB Releases Interim Report On Collision Between Tanker & Cargo Ship In North Sea

An interim report on the collision involving the Portuguese-flagged containership Solong and the US-flagged oil/chemical tanker Stena Immaculate has been released by the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).

The collision occurred on March 10, 2025, at 0947 hours, approximately 14 nautical miles northeast of the Humber Estuary, England.

The Stena Immaculate departed Agioi Theodoroi, Greece on February 27, 2025, carrying 220,204.5 barrels of aviation fuel, bound for Killingholme, England, where it was scheduled to arrive on March 11, 2025.

Meanwhile, the Portugal-registered Solong was engaged in regular trade routes across the North Sea, travelling between Rotterdam, Grangemouth, and Hull, carrying various containerised cargo, including dangerous goods.

The vessel was directed to anchor 5 miles north of the Humber light float and 2 miles clear of any pipeline as it approached the Humber Estuary on March 9, 2025.

By 1830 GMT, the master maneuvered the ship to the designated position north of ABP Humber’s jurisdiction, where it anchored along with eight other vessels.

On the same evening at 2000 GMT, the Solong departed Grangemouth, Scotland, and set course for Rotterdam, Netherlands. The master remained on watch until 2300 GMT, after which he handed over the bridge to the second officer (2/O) and went to rest.

The containership Solong passed the Longstone Lighthouse off the northeast coast of England and altered course to 150° at 0130 GMT on March 10, 2025, which it maintained with a slight deviation at 0345 GMT.

By 0700 GMT, the Solong’s master returned to the bridge and resumed watchkeeping alone. The visibility in the area was patchy, ranging between 0.25 to 2.0 nautical miles. Notably, neither Stena Immaculate nor Solong had a dedicated lookout on the bridge.

At 0947 GMT, Solong, traveling at approximately 16 knots (18 mph/29 km/h), collided with Stena Immaculate’s port side, breaching its No.7 cargo tank. This resulted in an aviation fuel spill into the sea and onto the bow of Solong.

The collision impact generated enough heat to ignite the fuel, leading to a fire that spread to the cargo containers on Solong.

After the fire outbreak, both Solong and Stena Immaculate’s crews took immediate action to contain the situation. However, firefighting efforts were severely hampered by the intensity of the flames.

The situation worsened, forcing both crews to abandon their vessels and evacuate to lifeboats. They were later rescued by local boats and emergency responders coordinated by His Majesty’s Coastguard.

Able Seaman Mark Pernia, a crew member aboard Solong, was reported to be in the forecastle area at the time of the collision. He remains missing and is presumed dead.

Both Solong and Stena Immaculate are currently undergoing salvage operations, while authorities assess the extent of environmental damage caused by the aviation fuel spill and fire.

The MAIB’s ongoing investigation will focus on several key aspects, including:

Navigation and watchkeeping practices on both vessels
Manning and fatigue management
Condition and maintenance of the vessels
Use of offshore anchorage areas near the Humber Estuary
Environmental conditions at the time of the accident

A full investigation report will be published after a 30-day consultation period with key stakeholders.

Following the release of the interim report, Solong’s captain, Vladimir Motin, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter.

The Stena Immaculate’s U.S.-based manager, Crowley, defended its vessel’s actions, stating:

“The Stena Immaculate was operating in compliance with applicable watch-standing safety regulations and Crowley company policies for an anchored vessel. Our 23 mariners acted with bravery and operational focus, ensuring fire monitors provided boundary cooling water, limiting the fire to just one of the 16 cargo holds and minimizing environmental impact.”

The incident is also under investigation by authorities in the United States and Portugal.

For the full report, click https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67ebb6a1632d0f88e8248ada/Solong-StenaImmaculate-InterimReport.pdf

Reference: MAIB

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