Disaster in the North Sea! U.S. Oil Tanker Crew Hailed as Heroess

A deadly collision rocked the North Sea when the U.S. oil tanker Stena Immaculate crashed into the Portuguese-flagged container ship Solong, igniting a massive fire.

The impact caused 17,515 barrels of jet fuel to spill, but thanks to the tanker crew’s quick action, only one cargo tank was damaged—preventing an even greater disaster.

Before abandoning ship, the crew activated firefighting systems, cooling adjacent tanks and stopping the fire from spreading further. Their heroic efforts earned them widespread praise.

Despite their efforts, the flames raged for three days. Meanwhile, a crew member from Solong, 38-year-old Mark Angelo Pernia, went missing and is presumed dead.

Adding to the tragedy, Solong's captain, Vladimir Motin, was arrested and charged with gross negligence manslaughter. He now faces trial in London.

While salvage experts assess the damage, the UK Coastguard has confirmed there is no immediate pollution threat, but investigations into the crash are underway.

With one crew member lost, a captain facing justice, and a full inquiry in motion, this North Sea disaster leaves one burning question—what really caused the collision?