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The container m/v 'Solong' (IMO: 9322554), en route from Grangemouth to Rotterdam, and the 'Stena Immaculate', en route from Agio Theodoroi to Killingholme with a cargo of A-1 jet fuel for the US defence department, were in allision on the North Sea, about 13 nautical miles off the coast of Lincolnshire, on March 10, 2025, at 9.48 a.m. The 'Solong' hit the 'Stena Immaculate' at a speed of 16 knots, having maintained the same course over nine hours. It was foggy, but visibility was about half a mile. The 'Solong' did even not immediately stop and drove into the tanker's side, coming literally out of the blue, for what seemed like 10 minutes. It appeared nobody was on the bridge of the 'Solong' at the moment of the allision. The container ship knocked the tanker 40 ft, but the 'Solong'’s engines had not stopped and it hit the tanker again, bouncing off the tanker, the third allision was not such a hard hit, the engine power had been reduced by then. Two crew members on the 'Stena Immaculate' had been at the bow of the vessel changing a light bulb, when the container vessel ploughed into the mid-section of the tanker, causing an explosion and fire. The two crew had to run passed burning debris as explosions of jet fuel were erupting behind them, to get to the lifeboat. There were multiple explosions and a massive fireball following the impact. Luckily, the forward tanks were empty, which allowed the collapsed tanks to expand into the void space. The flames immediately began erupting from the ruptured tank, and the crew jumped into action, putting on protective gear to battle the blaze. Ater moments of fighting the inferno, they knew it was a lost cause, and a decision was made to abandon the ship and get into a lifeboat. Some of the sailors even had singed hair because the flames were so close. Some of the crew scrambled to the life rafts taking only what they had on them. Other crew members went to their rooms to gather essential belongings, also grabbing life jackets and emergency gear. The crew went to the mustering point and a warning sound was made for all crew members. When it was verified that everyone was onboard the freefall lifeboat, they launched. The captain was the last person to leave the tanker. They couldn't have waited any longer to get off the vessel, and the whole incident from impact to evacuation lasted about 30 minutes. The HM Coastguard was co-ordinating the emergency response. The Humber Coastguard broadcast a radio call asking for nearby ships with firefighting equipment, or which could help with search and rescue operations. A helicopter took off from Humberside and headed to the scene alongside the RNLI lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Maplethorpe and Cleethorpes, and an HM Coastguard fixed wing aircraft, and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability. The 'Svitzer Josephine' (IMO: 8919219) was the first to answer the Mayday call and accepted responsibility to proceed at best speed, with FiFi 1 capabilities. On the whole, three of Svitzer'S emergency response vessels responded, besides the 'Svitzer’s Josephine' the 'Svitzer Harty' (IMO: 9366861) and 'Svitzer Madeline' (IMO: 9127368), arriving simultaneously on scene. By 11.40 a.m. the Cleethorpes boat had been stood down while the boats from Bridlington, Mablethorpe and Skegness continued to support search and rescue efforts. The 'Stena Immaculate' was anchored in pos. 53° 44' N 000° 24' E, when the container ship ran into its side. It is not clear if any has entered the water or been burnt, but jet fuel has been released from the tanker into the sea from a ruptured tank. The 'Stena Immaculate' had come from a refinery in Corinth and did not to have delivered its oil before the allision. The ship was laden with about 142,000 barrels when it left Corinth, in support of the US Department of Defense. The crew of the 'Stena Immaculate' abandoned the vessel following multiple explosions onboard. On the whole 36 mariners have been brought ashore in Grimsby. One member of the 'Solong 'crew was still missing as night fell, according to the ship's Hamburg-based owner, Ernst Russ. The search is still underway. 13 of the 14 crew members of the 'Soliong' were among those who have been brought safely ashore. The first ship, the high speed craft 'Windcat 33' (MMSI: 235103062), arrived with 13 people on board. The offshore windfarm vessel had been in the vicinity when the allision took place. It was followed by 10 casualties on a pilot boat operated by Associated British Ports, which owns the Port of Immingham, and a third vessel - a pilot boat - with the remaining casualties. There was a line of ambulances in Grimsby waiting to take them to the Princess Diana hospital. The.emergency crews assessed 36 people at Grimsby's North Quay. Nobody was required to go to hospital. Set up in 2023 under the Biden Government, the US Maritime Administration agency’s Tanker Security Program (TSP) has a number of commercial ships that are guaranteed to be available for US Government work at short notice. The 'Stena Immaculate' was one of three vessels made available to the scheme in 2023 by American company Crowley, which manages the ships’ day-to-day operations through a joint venture with the Swedish owners Stena. The ship’s managing agent is the US company Crowley , which operates the vessel in a partnership with Stena Bulk. Crowley immediately initiated its emergency vessel response plan and is actively working with public agencies to contain the fire and secure the vessel. A three mile air exclusion zone has been put in place over the site of the collision off the Yorkshire coast. The Government issued a restriction that effectively bans pilots from flying over the accident site, which is a short distance north-east of Spurn Point on the northern bank of the Humber estuary. Pilots are forbidden to fly within the designated area without the permission of the Coastguard, said a notice to airmen. The zone extends up to 2,000ft above sea level. All four of the ports in the Humber have closed while rescuers and firefighting vessels carry out their duties. Associated British Ports are assisting the HM Coastguard and other relevant agencies with the response to the maritime incident in the North Sea. All vessel movements are currently suspended in the Humber. P&O Ferries said its departure times for scheduled sailings were unconfirmed. The company intends to operate those ships once the port is re-opened to traffic. Wildlife rescue groups are preparing for the impact on an oil spill along the east coast of Yorkshire. The Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue committee had met to discuss preparations to rescue oiled wildlife, particularly birds and are currently adapting the oil spill response protocols – originally designed for factory spills – to ensure to be prepared for the incident and have set up a dedicated oiled wildlife hotline for reporting affected animals in Cleethorpe. The group also urged locals to report sightings of oiled birds. Greenpeace UK was monitoring the situation. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has deployed a team to conduct a preliminary assessment, Preliminary reports suggested that poor visibility may have played a role in the allision. The 'Stena Immaculate’s heading was approx around 065⁰ when she was hit on her port side by the 'Solong' at 9:48:07 a..m. between the rear half of the 'Stena Immaculate’s length. After the collision, the tanker’s heading turned to heading 131⁰ (T) and took all of the 'Solong’s speed away. Both ships appeared to have remained in contact for around four minutes dragged south-east until 9:52:42 a.m. Maritime security sources said there was no indication of any malicious activity or other actors involved in the accident. Reports with photos and video: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cgq1pwjlqq2t https://bridlingtonecho.co.uk/major-shipping-incident-on-north-sea-off-bridlington-after-vessels-collide/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI7yUZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHUcbXuiYQMpLIczmEkMDD_-qLUGjeO_oMbyRv1VstFSFcXUpopLnBn7Tdg_aem_nTIyWjk22xLIlCy9IrM0JA https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/north-sea-stena-immaculate-oil-tanker-cargo-collision-yorkshire-b2712260.html https://www.offshore-energy.biz/foul-play-among-suspected-reasons-behind-oil-tanker-cargo-ship-north-sea-collision/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/10/oil-tanker-cargo-ship-collide-north-sea/ https://news.sky.com/story/what-we-know-about-north-sea-oil-tanker-and-cargo-ship-collision-13325883 https://uk.news.yahoo.com/live/oil-tanker-crash-north-sea-latest-news-122624396.html

The 'Elite Navigator', that sank off Newfoundland on July 17, 2024, with the seven crew members being rescued after nearly 48 hours in a life raft, was said to met safely requirements and had extensive fire safety equipment onboard - beyond what the industry regulations required for that type of vessel. The crew survived days adrift in a life raft after their vessel caught fire and sank, thanks to their adherence to strong safety protocols, according to an investigation by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), published on March 12, 2025. The ship was operating about 130 nautical miles east-northeast of Fogo Island, when a fire broke out in the engine room, quickly spreading and forcing the crew to abandon ship. The TSB concluded that the crew's commitment to safety procedures was crucial to their survival: "The crew's compliance with safety procedures, including the proper use of life-saving equipment, played a crucial role in ensuring their safety during the abandonment and subsequent rescue." the TSB stated. The cause of the fire remained unknown and no way to determine, also the vessel crews had no way to seal off the engine room at the time.

Video footage provided by the British company Orca AI shows the moment when the 'Solong' rammed into the side of the 'Stena Immaculate' off Hull. I't was recorded by a SeaPod unit, mounted on board the tanker 'Ionic Aspis' (IMO: 9523287), which was anchored off Grimsby. The video shows the accident, the foggy conditions and the moment the two ships allided. The preliminary information suggested that the 'Solong' had maintained the same course and speed for almost nine hours until it crashed into the tanker. The British authorities have launched an investigation into the accident together with the flag states involved. The fire on the 'Stena Immaculate' seemed to be finally out on March 12 with no visible signs of smoke or flames. However, Boskalis salvors could not yet get on board, as the weather conditions did not allow it. The option to send the team on board by helicopter was deemed too risky either, as kerosene fumes were measured near the ship, and they did not want to be hanging over that. As the ship is already at anchor there was no need to take unnecessary risks. Even if salvors go on board now, they only have a short time, preferrings to be on board only during daylight. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said that small pockets of fire continued to burn aboard the 'Solong', with the intensity and size of the fire having decreased considerably last night. The operational response to fully extinguish the fire and stabilize the container ship were continued. While the fire activity onboard had diminished, the vessel continued to emit smoke with occasional reports of flames. The vessel is charred from end to end. It was held in a safe position offshore by a tug with additional support vessels remaining in the area. The ship was on an almost even keel and efforts will focus on addressing some smaller fires on board which keep reigniting and to enable safe boarding at some point in time for a comprehensive damage assessment. The captain of the 'Solong', a 59-year-old master remained arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. A spokesperson for Ernst Russ commented that the master and its entire team wereactively assisting with the investigations. They confirmed that the master is a Russian national and the rest of the crew are a mix of Russian and Filipino nationals. There have been no further reports of pollution to the sea from either vessel beyond what was observed during the initial incident. Report with photos and video: https://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/2025/03/12/britse-kustwacht-deelt-nieuwe-beelden-van-smeulende-solong-en-stena-immaculate-boskalis-nog-niet-aan-boord/ https://www.soefart.dk/article/view/1151828/se_video_fartoj_filmer_skibe_i_sekunderne_inden_kollision https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K4JQ0VxLIQ

On March 11, the first container of fruit from the 'Maersk Saltoro' was destroyed, which took approximately two hours. On March 8, the Chinese customs had completed the inspection process of the fruit, and then private inspections were being carried out. To destroy the fruit, the wooden pallets from the loads at customs had to be removed. Then, the 20 tons of cherries were transferred to a hopper truck to be sent to the destruction site. More centers awere being sought to dispose of the fruit. In the first destruction, private inspections were added; given the volume. The destruction was done in a place approved by customs, under the supervision of Chinese customs personnel. The fruit was transported in trucks after the pallets were removed. The Chinese authorities deliver inspection times and define places to destroy the fruit by order of request to perform private inspections. The exporter would receive a document of the customs inspection and the certificate of rejection of the fruit. Customs is still developing the destruction process and protocol as the first destruction was an initial test.

Video footage provided by the British company Orca AI shows the moment when the 'Solong' rammed into the side of the 'Stena Immaculate' off Hull. I't was recorded by a SeaPod unit, mounted on board the tanker 'Ionic Aspis' (IMO: 9523287), which was anchored off Grimsby. The video shows the accident, the foggy conditions and the moment the two ships allided. The preliminary information suggested that the 'Solong' had maintained the same course and speed for almost nine hours until it crashed into the tanker. The British authorities have launched an investigation into the accident together with the flag states involved. The fire on the 'Stena Immaculate' seemed to be finally out on March 12 with no visible signs of smoke or flames. However, Boskalis salvors could not yet get on board, as the weather conditions did not allow it. The option to send the team on board by helicopter was deemed too risky either, as kerosene fumes were measured near the ship, and they did not want to be hanging over that. As the ship is already at anchor there was no need to take unnecessary risks. Even if salvors go on board now, they only have a short time, preferrings to be on board only during daylight. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said that small pockets of fire continued to burn aboard the 'Solong', with the intensity and size of the fire having decreased considerably last night. The operational response to fully extinguish the fire and stabilize the container ship were continued. While the fire activity onboard had diminished, the vessel continued to emit smoke with occasional reports of flames. The vessel is charred from end to end. It was held in a safe position offshore by a tug with additional support vessels remaining in the area. The ship was on an almost even keel and efforts will focus on addressing some smaller fires on board which keep reigniting and to enable safe boarding at some point in time for a comprehensive damage assessment. The captain of the 'Solong', a 59-year-old master remained arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. A spokesperson for Ernst Russ commented that the master and its entire team wereactively assisting with the investigations. They confirmed that the master is a Russian national and the rest of the crew are a mix of Russian and Filipino nationals. There have been no further reports of pollution to the sea from either vessel beyond what was observed during the initial incident. Reports with photos and video: https://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/2025/03/12/britse-kustwacht-deelt-nieuwe-beelden-van-smeulende-solong-en-stena-immaculate-boskalis-nog-niet-aan-boord/ https://www.soefart.dk/article/view/1151828/se_video_fartoj_filmer_skibe_i_sekunderne_inden_kollision https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K4JQ0VxLIQ