Search ends for crew member after North Sea collision; Safety concerns in the spotlight

British authorities have called off the search for the last missing crew member from the cargo ship Solong, which collided with an oil tanker in the North Sea on Monday while en route to Rotterdam. The incident has reignited concerns over the growing congestion and insufficient oversight of maritime safety in the region, according to NOS. Additionally, the chemicals released after the collision are expected to harm the local marine ecosystem. The British coast guard continues to monitor both damaged vessels, which are still burning more than 24 hours after the impact.

The Portuguese-flagged Solong, which was carrying sea containers full of cargo, including hazardous chemicals, struck the U.S.-flagged oil tanker Stena Immaculate near Hull, United Kingdom. The tanker was anchored at the time. The collision ignited fires on both vessels, injured at least 32 people, and triggered a massive emergency response by British authorities.

The British Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) confirmed on Tuesday that after an extensive search, the last unaccounted-for crew member of the Solong had not been found. “Following a thorough air and sea operation, we have unfortunately been unable to locate the missing person. The search has now been suspended,” an MCA spokesperson told the BBC.

The collision has fueled mounting concerns over maritime safety as vessel traffic in the North Sea increases. Shipping lanes have become significantly busier over the past two decades due to growing freight volumes, offshore wind farm installations, and expanding oil and gas operations. Experts warn that current safety measures are not keeping pace with the rising risks.

“This is the seventh major maritime accident in the North Sea since 2019,” said Ewout van Galen, director of Stichting De Noordzee, a Dutch marine conservation organization. He cited previous incidents in an interview with NOS, including the MSC Zoe disaster in 2019, when the vessel lost 342 containers near the Wadden Islands, and the 2022 Julietta D. incident, in which a drifting cargo ship crashed into a wind farm transformer platform.

“Ten to twenty years ago, there were fewer ships, fewer offshore structures, and ships were generally smaller. The probability of major accidents was much lower,” Van Galen said.

“This is the reality of today’s shipping industry—bigger, faster, more crowded, and, too often, not prepared for disaster,” a Greenpeace spokesperson said about the case.

The Stena Immaculate, owned by Swedish firm Stena Bulk and operated by U.S.-based Crowley, was carrying up to 50,000 tons of Jet-A1 aviation fuel. While some of the cargo ignited, reducing the volume of oil that could spill, environmental experts warn of lasting damage.

“Kerosene evaporates more easily than crude oil, which limits contamination,” said Tinka Murk, an ecology professor at Wageningen University. “However, it also contains up to one gram of lead per liter. Any lead that enters the sea will sink to the seabed and accumulate in the ecosystem.”

The Solong was also transporting 15 containers of sodium cyanide, a highly toxic chemical. It remains unclear whether any of these containers were breached in the collision. “If sodium cyanide enters the water, it could be a bigger threat to marine life than the fuel spill,” Murk added.

Experts have questioned whether current safety protocols are adequate given the increasing maritime traffic in the region. While modern vessels are equipped with GPS, radar, and the Automatic Identification System (AIS), human error and outdated risk models remain major concerns.

“The Stena Immaculate had a double hull to prevent spills, but that didn’t prevent the breach,” Van Galen said. “And accidents aren’t always collisions—ships also drift into wind farms or lose containers in storms. There are many factors at play, including warnings, weather conditions, and captain decisions.”

The Dutch Safety Board warned in a 2023 report that there is “insufficient visibility” into maritime safety risks in the North Sea. The report found that Dutch authorities are relying on outdated risk models and that the effectiveness of existing safety measures is uncertain. “This is deeply concerning,” Van Galen said. “Ultimately, nature pays the price.”

Following the crash, authorities closed the entrance to the Humber Estuary, a key maritime route near Hull. The closure has disrupted ferry services between Rotterdam and the UK, with P&O Ferries unable to confirm when sailings will resume.

“The Solong was supposed to arrive in Amsterdam, but that voyage has now been indefinitely delayed due to the severe damage sustained in the collision,” said Ernst Russ, the ship’s German-based operator.

Investigators from the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) have launched a probe into the cause of the crash. Maritime safety experts say it could take months to determine what went wrong and whether additional safety regulations are needed to prevent future incidents.

The International Maritime Organization, the UN’s shipping regulatory body, has acknowledged concerns about North Sea safety but has yet to announce any plans for stricter regulations. Greenpeace UK called the incident a “stark warning” of the environmental and safety risks posed by increasing maritime congestion.