Salvors Board Stena Immaculate and Solong Following North Sea Collision
Salvage teams have boarded both vessels involved in Monday’s serious collision off England’s East Yorkshire coast as assessment and response operations continue.
The US-registered oil tanker STENA IMMACULATE and Portuguese-registered container ship SOLONG remain in stable condition following their collision near the River Humber entrance. The STENA IMMACULATE maintains its anchored position while the SOLONG is secured by tug in a designated safe location.
Chief Coastguard Paddy O’Callaghan confirmed that comprehensive damage assessments are now underway on both vessels. The development marks a significant step forward in the response operation, which began after the SOLONG, traveling at 16.4 knots, struck the anchored STENA IMMACULATE on Monday morning.
The incident has drawn particular concern due to the STENA IMMACULATE’s cargo of 220,000 barrels of Jet-A1 fuel. However, regular aerial surveillance has detected no pollution from either vessel.
“The UK Health Security Agency continues to advise that any public health risk on shore is deemed to be very low,” O’Callaghan stated.
Firefighting efforts continue on the SOLONG, where small periodic pockets of fire persist but are “not causing undue concern.” Specialist firefighting tugs remain on standby at both vessels’ locations.
The incident has triggered a multi-agency investigation led by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), working in collaboration with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, U.S. Coast Guard, and Marine Safety Investigation Authority Portugal.
Initial reports suggest the SOLONG, which regularly operated between Grangemouth and Rotterdam, failed to take evasive action before the collision. The impact caused the vessels to become temporarily interlocked, prompting authorities to establish a 1-kilometer exclusion zone.
The human toll of the incident remains significant, with one crew member from the SOLONG still missing. Thirty-six others were successfully evacuated, while all crew members aboard the STENA IMMACULATE are confirmed safe.
