FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – The captain of the cargo ship involved in a deadly collision in the North Sea has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, local media reported Tuesday.
The owner of the containership Solong, Ernst Russ, confirmed that the captain has been detained by Humberside police. “The master and our entire team are actively assisting with the investigations,” the company said in a statement.
A criminal investigation began after the U.S.-registered oil tanker Stena Immaculate collided with the Portuguese-flagged cargo vessel Solong near Hull on Monday.
Police said a 59-year-old man was arrested following the collision. “Extensive work has already been carried out, and we are working closely with our partners to understand what happened and to provide support to all those affected,” said Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Nicholson.
One crew member is missing and presumed dead. The search operation has been called off.
A total of 36 people were rescued, with one person taken to the hospital, according to Coastguard Divisional Commander Matthew Atkinson. Authorities are assessing environmental damage after jet fuel leaked into the sea.
The Stena Immaculate had traveled from Greece and was anchored outside Hull, while the Solong was en route from Scotland to the Netherlands.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution reported that several people abandoned the vessels after the collision.