North Sea collision: Oil tanker and cargo ship collide off UK coast, fires erupt; 32 casualties brought ashore

An oil tanker and a cargo ship collided off the coast of eastern England on Monday, igniting fires on both vessels and prompting a major rescue operation, emergency services confirmed.

At least 32 casualties were brought ashore, but their condition was not immediately clear. Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, reported that 13 casualties arrived on a Windcat 33 vessel, followed by another 19 on a harbor pilot boat.

Rescue efforts underway

Britain’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency reported that multiple lifeboats, a coast guard rescue helicopter, and a coast guard plane were dispatched to the North Sea crash site. Nearby vessels equipped with firefighting capabilities also joined the operation.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) stated that some crew members reportedly abandoned their vessels after the collision. “There were reports that a number of people had abandoned the vessels following a collision and there were fires on both ships,” the RNLI confirmed. Three lifeboats, along with the coast guard, were engaged in search and rescue efforts.

Eyewitness account

Video footage aired by the BBC, apparently filmed from a nearby vessel, showed thick black smoke pouring from both ships. Boyers, the port chief, said he had been informed of a “massive fireball.”

“It’s too far out for us to see – about 10 miles – but we have seen the vessels bringing them in,” he said.

Ships involved in collision

The tanker, identified as the U.S.-flagged chemical and oil products carrier MV Stena Immaculate, was anchored at the time of the collision after sailing from Greece, according to ship-tracking site VesselFinder. The cargo vessel, the Portugal-flagged container ship Solong, was en route from Grangemouth, Scotland, to Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Time and location of incident

Coast guard officials reported that the alarm was raised at 9:48 a.m. (0948 GMT). The collision occurred off the coast of Hull, approximately 155 miles (250 km) north of London.

Ongoing InvestigationAuthorities have yet to confirm the cause of the collision or provide further details on the condition of the casualties. Emergency teams continue to monitor the situation as efforts to control the fires and ensure crew safety remain a priority.

(With AP inputs)