Tanker collision off England’s coast causes fuel spill

A U.S. military-contracted tanker was hit by a cargo ship off England’s northeast coast, causing a fire and fuel spill. Over 17,000 barrels of jet fuel were lost, and the cargo ship’s captain faces a manslaughter charge after a crew member’s death.

Only one tank filled with jet fuel sustained damage after a U.S. military-contracted tanker transporting a shipment was struck by a cargo vessel off the northeast coast of England, according to U.S. logistics firm Crowley.

The tanker, Stena Immaculate, capable of carrying tens of thousands of tonnes of jet fuel, was at anchor off Humberside on 10 March when it was hit by the smaller Solong, resulting in fires and explosions.

Crowley, which manages the tanker, stated on Sunday that a third-party salvage team had confirmed the damage was confined to a single cargo tank containing Jet-A1 fuel and one ballast tank filled with seawater. The company had previously stated on 12 March that the vessel was carrying 16 tanks.

Out of the 220,000 barrels of jet fuel on board the Stena Immaculate, Crowley reported that 17,515 were lost due to the impact and subsequent three-day fire.

The logistics company also praised the crew for activating a firefighting system before abandoning the ship.

Erik Hanell, chief executive of Stena Immaculate owner Stena Bulk, previously told Reuters that two out of the 18 fuel tanks had leaked, estimating a loss of around 10% of the cargo.

Meanwhile, the Russian captain of the Portuguese-flagged Solong, Vladimir Motin, appeared at Hull Magistrates' Court on Saturday, charged with gross negligence manslaughter over the death of Filipino crew member Mark Angelo Pernia.

Motin did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody to appear in court in London on 14 April.

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