Police detain Russian captain over fatal North Sea crash as fires rage and fears of oil spill grow

A Russian ship captain has been arrested for gross negligence manslaughter following a fiery collision in the North Sea that left a crew member feared dead and a US-bound oil tanker in flames.

The 59-year-old was taken into custody in East Yorkshire after his container ship, the Solong, ploughed into the anchored Stena Immaculate, a US-flagged tanker carrying jet fuel. The impact triggered multiple explosions, igniting a massive fireball that engulfed both vessels.

The Solong, travelling at 16 knots (18mph) from Grangemouth, Scotland, to Rotterdam, drifted two miles before being stabilised by tugboats. The Stena Immaculate, which had been waiting for port access in Humber, suffered significant damage, with investigators fearing an oil spill despite no immediate surface pollution being detected.

Emergency crews rescued 36 sailors, including Americans from the tanker and Russian and Filipino crew from the Solong. Officials dismissed speculation of Russian state involvement, though the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch and Humberside police have launched parallel investigations into the disaster.

Initial fears that the Solong carried highly toxic sodium cyanide were alleviated after its Hamburg-based owner, Ernst Russ, confirmed that four containers previously holding the chemical were empty.

Authorities remain on high alert, monitoring air and water quality as salvage teams assess the wreckage. While most of the 220,000 barrels of jet fuel likely burned in the inferno, concerns persist over environmental damage from any oil leakage into the sea.

By Wednesday evening, fires aboard the Stena Immaculate had been extinguished, with no further visible flames or smoke, according to Crowley, the tanker’s managing firm.

Assistant Chief Coastguard John Craig assured the public that a comprehensive counter-pollution response was in place. “We are working closely with police, salvors, and port authorities to minimise environmental risks,” he said.

Meanwhile, DCS Craig Nicholson of Humberside police confirmed that extensive investigations were ongoing. “We are working to understand what happened and provide support to those affected,” he stated.

With the Russian captain remaining in custody, maritime authorities are scrutinising navigation data to determine the cause of the disaster—a crash that has already sparked international tensions and fears of a maritime crisis.