Cargo ship captain arrested over North Sea collision is Russian, proprietor says | EUROtoday

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The captain of the cargo ship which collided with a US oil tanker within the North Sea is a Russian nationwide, the vessel’s proprietor has mentioned.

A 59-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in reference to the collision, Humberside Police have mentioned.

The Single cargo ship crashed into the Stena Immaculate oil tanker on Monday at 9:48am off the coast of East Yorkshire.

Grainy thermal digital camera footage launched on Wednesday confirmed the container ship heading in the direction of the stationary oil tanker earlier than smashing into it, sending a large fireball into the air.

Police shared an announcement on Wednesday morning to substantiate “a 59-year-old man remains in our custody having been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision”.

A spokesperson for transport firm Ernst Russ, which owns Singlementioned: “The captain is a Russian national.”

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They additionally confirmed that the remainder of the crew have been Russian and Filipino nationals.

The Single was on fireplace after it separated from the Stena Immaculate and drifted south on Tuesday evening, the vessel’s proprietor mentioned.

Ernst Russ mentioned that whereas fireplace exercise had “diminished” since yesterday, the ship “continues to emit smoke with occasional reports of flames”.

It added: “Salvage and marine firefighting craft are on scene and will remain engaged. The Coastguard has confirmed that there have been no further reports of pollution to the sea since the initial incident.”

The firm mentioned they have been “working with the authorities in the investigations now underway to more fully understand these events and learn from the findings.”

Meanwhile, the Stena Immaculatewhich was carrying jet gasoline, confirmed no seen flames on board in its final evaluation and stays at anchor with security tugboats in place if required.

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There have been no additional stories of air pollution to the ocean from both vessel, in line with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, “beyond what was observed during the initial incident”.

It mentioned: “HM Coastguard’s counter pollution and salvage team has a comprehensive counter pollution response in place should it be required. Salvors also have equipment and personnel ready to respond to any pollution.”

Greenpeace mentioned that an environmental catastrophe had been “narrowly averted”, however they weren’t out of the “danger zone yet”.

Dr Paul Johnston from the Greenpeace Research Laboratories, mentioned: “When a container ship the length of a football pitch rams into a tanker carrying thousands of tonnes of jet fuel at 16 knots close to sensitive nature sites, the potential for serious harm is huge.”

He mentioned that the precedence ought to be to make sure that no additional jet gasoline leaks from the tanker and the cargo from the container ship is totally secured.

Dr Johnston added: “This incident is a stark reminder of the inherent risks associated with millions of tonnes of oil and oil products floating in tankers on our oceans each and every day.

“Whether it’s air pollution, climate change or oil spills, fossil fuels are a risk multiplier wherever they are produced, used and found and the sooner we reduce our dependence on them, the better.”