One missing after cargo ship strikes tanker in North Sea

Officials in the United Kingdom on Tuesday investigated the collision of the Portugal-flagged container ship Solong and the U.S.-flagged fuel tanker MV Stena Immaculate. The Solong on Monday morning struck the Stena Immaculate. The tanker was anchored in the North Sea at the time, according to Crowley, the firm that manages Stena Immaculate.  

Authorities on Monday evening evacuated 36 of the 37 crew members from both ships, according to the U.K. Coast Guard, with one person from the Solong still missing. Both ships caught fire. By Tuesday morning, the fire on board the Stena Immaculate was largely put out while the Solong continued to burn. The U.K. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was monitoring the air quality in the area.

What else have the ship owners said? The Stena Immaculate was carrying jet fuel for the U.S. military, according to a statement from Crowley. It was unclear on Tuesday morning how much the jet fuel on board—some 220,000 barrels’ worth stored in 16 cargo tanks—had spilled from the collision. Officials from the United States and Portugal will assist in the investigation into what caused the crash.

Contrary to earlier reports, the Solong was not carrying containers of sodium cyanide, shipping company Ernst Russ told the Associated Press.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report about how the U.S. cracked down on an Iranian shadow fleet shipping oil.