British police arrested a cargo ship captain on suspicion of manslaughter following a North Sea collision that killed one crew member and caused fires on two vessels. The Solong, a Portuguese-registered cargo ship, struck the stationary U.S.-flagged tanker MV Stena Immaculate, which carried 220,000 barrels of jet fuel for the U.S. military. Both ships burned for over 24 hours before crews extinguished the flames, though the Solong remains partially ablaze and drifting south.
The captain, a 59-year-old suspect in gross negligence manslaughter, was assisting investigators alongside his shipping company. Authorities confirmed no major injuries among the 37 crew members but presume one sailor died after search efforts were halted. While initial fears of sodium cyanide leaks were dismissed—containers were empty—the spill’s environmental impact remains uncertain. Experts warn persistent jet fuel could harm marine life and seabird colonies in the area.
The U.K., Portugal, and the U.S. are collaborating on the investigation, with no foul play suspected. Officials report normal air quality ashore but continue monitoring for ecological damage near sensitive coastal ecosystems.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/ship-collision-north-sea-oil-spill-environment-47b208024d166aece39b66e216c05229