Dozens hurt after oil tanker collides with cargo ship headed to Rotterdam

A U.S.-flagged oil tanker and a Portuguese-flagged cargo ship collided in the North Sea on Monday, sparking fires on both vessels and triggering a large-scale rescue operation. At least 32 people were injured and brought ashore, though their conditions remain unclear, authorities said. The oil tanker, identified as the MV Stena Immaculate, was anchored at the time of the impact, while the cargo ship Solong was en route from Grangemouth, Scotland, to Rotterdam. The collision occurred near Hull, United Kingdom, at 9:48 a.m. UTC, according to the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Britain’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency deployed multiple lifeboats, a rescue helicopter, a fixed-wing aircraft, and firefighting vessels to assist in the operation. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) confirmed that “a number of people had abandoned the vessels following the collision and there were fires on both ships.”

Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, said 13 casualties were first brought in on a Windcat 33 vessel, followed by another 19 on a harbor pilot boat. Their conditions have not been disclosed.

Video footage aired by the BBC showed thick black smoke billowing from the ships. Witnesses described a “massive fireball” at the scene. “They must have sent a mayday out—luckily there was a crew transfer vessel out there already,” Boyers said.

The Stena Immaculate is owned by the Swedish firm Stena Bulk and operated by the U.S.-based maritime company Crowley. Stena Bulk and Crowley confirmed that all crew members aboard the tanker were safe and accounted for. The vessel "sustained a ruptured cargo tank containing Jet-A1 fuel," Crowley reported. The company added that after the collision, "the fuel was reported released."

The Stena Immaculate, an oil and chemical tanker, was part of a U.S. Department of Defense program allowing it to be chartered for military use in times of need. It remains unclear whether it was operating under that program at the time of the crash.

The Solong is owned by German shipping company Reederei Koepping and was carrying containerized cargo when it struck the tanker. The full extent of the damage and potential environmental impact remains unclear.

Maritime tracking data suggests the Solong was traveling in a straight path before the collision, while the Stena Immaculate remained stationary. David McFarlane, director at Maritime Risk and Safety Consultants, told Sky News that it can take up to an hour to raise an anchor, potentially limiting the tanker’s ability to maneuver out of the way. Boyers speculated that the Solong may have been on autopilot at the time of the crash, noting that “autopilot just steers a course, they don’t deviate.”

The British Maritime and Coastguard Agency said it is “currently coordinating the emergency response to reports of a collision between a tanker and cargo vessel off the coast of East Yorkshire.” An assessment of counter-pollution measures is also underway. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has sent inspectors to gather evidence and conduct a preliminary assessment.

The International Maritime Organization, the UN’s shipping agency, confirmed it was monitoring the situation. Greenpeace UK called the footage of the aftermath “a cause for great concern” but said it was too early to determine the extent of environmental damage.