LONDON — Fears of a major environmental disaster grew Tuesday after a fiery collision between a fuel tanker and a cargo vessel off the British coast in the North Sea a day earlier that appeared to have left one person lost at sea.
The Portugal-registered Solong container ship struck the tanker, MV Stena Immaculate, according to a statement released Monday by Crowley, the company that manages the tanker. The Stena Immaculate is a U.S. vessel that had been anchored off the North Sea coast near the port city of Hull when it was struck, Crowley added.
A major rescue operation by lifeboats, coast guard aircraft and commercial vessels was carried out in foggy conditions under the leaden skies of the North Sea following the incident.
The dramatic fires from the two vessels sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky throughout Monday. On Tuesday, the coast guard that the flames had been mostly extinguished on the tanker but not entirely on the cargo vessel.
While 36 of the 37 crew members of the two vessels were brought ashore to the port town of Grimsby, about 150 miles north of London, Ernst Russ — the German company that owns the Solong — said in a statement Tuesday that the search for the final missing crew member had been called off.
“We extend our deepest sympathy to the family of the missing crew member, mindful that the search has been called off. Our first thoughts must be with them at this uncertain and distressing time,” Ernst Russ said.
The company added that it would assist with any future investigations and work with cleanup teams to mitigate any environmental damage.
Environmental activists had initially feared that the Solong was laden with sodium cyanide — Ernst Russ later said that it was not on board. NBC News’ international news partner Sky News reported that the Stena Immaculate was laden with 220,000 barrels of jet fuel, with the prospect of a leak potentially catastrophic for the local environment.
The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, two nongovernmental organizations which care for stretches of the coast off which the accident occurred, said in a statement Tuesday that they were “deeply concerned” about the pollution damaging the habitats of seabird colonies, grey seals, and other marine life.
“If pollution spillage enters the [River] Humber, this could potentially be devastating for the wildlife of the estuary, including important fish populations and tens of thousands of overwintering and migrating birds who use the mud flats,” Martin Slater, director of operations at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said Tuesday.
Matthew Pennycook, Britain’s housing and planning minister, said earlier Tuesday that the situation was “fast-moving and dynamic,” adding that air quality readings were normal and the coast guard was “well-equipped to contain and disperse any oil spills,” The Associated Press reported.
While U.K. marine accident investigators were continuing to gather evidence of what caused the collision, P&O Ferries said Tuesday that its ferries from the port of Hull were operating again after saying Monday that its evening journeys would be delayed amid closures.
The United States and Portugal, the countries where the vessels are flagged, are now leading an investigation.
