Ships had no lookouts before crash, says report

19 hours ago 1

A occurrence rages connected the Stena Immaculate lipid tanker aft it was deed by cargo vessel Solong disconnected the East Yorkshire seashore connected 10 March.

An lipid tanker and cargo vessel that crashed successful the North Sea did not person "dedicated lookouts" successful what were "patchy conditions", an interim study has found.

The Stena Immaculate, a US-registered tanker, was anchored 16 miles (26km) disconnected the East Yorkshire seashore erstwhile it was deed by the Portuguese-flagged Solong connected 10 March.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch besides released caller images of the incident, which resulted successful fires and a rescue cognition which saved 36 unit from some vessels.

One unit subordinate connected the Solong, Mark Pernia, is missing and presumed dead. He was reported to beryllium successful the guardant country of the vessel astatine the clip of impact.

The study said the Solong had near Grangemouth successful Scotland by 20:00 GMT the time earlier the clang and was heading to Rotterdam utilizing a way it had antecedently used.

The Stena Immaculate was told by Associate British Ports (ABP) Vessel Traffic Services to anchor northbound of Humber Estuary, keeping wide of immoderate pipeline. There were 8 different vessels anchored successful the aforesaid area, the study noted.

The Solong collided with the lipid tanker astatine a velocity of astir 16 knots (18mph) astatine 09:47 GMT the pursuing day.

"The visibility successful the country northbound of the Humber airy interval was reported to beryllium patchy and varying betwixt 0.25 nautical miles (nm) and 2.0nm," the study said.

A CCTV representation of the Solong hitting the Stena Immaculate.

The Solong's Russian captain, Vladimir Motin, 59, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter, and is owed to basal proceedings successful January 2026.

Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire connected BBC Sounds, ticker the latest occurrence of Look North or archer america astir a communicative you deliberation we should beryllium covering here.