North Sea collision: MAIB issues interim report
Image courtesy of Crowley Government Services.
The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its interim report following the North Sea collision between Portugal-registered containership Solong and the US-registered oil/chemical tanker Stena Immaculate.
The incident occurred at 0947 UTC on 10 March 2025, approximately 14 nautical miles north-east of Spurn Head at the entrance to the Humber Estuary, England. One crew member from Solong is believed to have died as a result of the collision.
The Russian captain of the Solong was arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter after the incident. Both vessels remain under salvage operations, and assessments of the impact of pollution are ongoing.
Burnt material and plastic pellets, also known as nurdles, have washed up along the UK’s east coast following the collision, raising environmental concerns.
The report seeks to confirm all available facts while investigations into the causes of the accident are ongoing.
The report details that, at the time of the accident, Stena Immaculate was at anchor. The vessel had departed Agioi Theodoroi, Greece on 27 February 2025, carrying 220,205 barrels of aviation fuel. It was bound for Killingholme, England, and was expected to berth on 11 March 2025. The vessel anchored on 9 March 2025 at a location advised by ABP Vessel Traffic Services Humber, approximately 5 miles north of the Humber light float and 2 miles clear of any pipeline. It was one of eight vessels anchored in that area.
Solong departed Grangemouth, Scotland, on the evening of 9 March 2025, en route to Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The vessel was following a route it had used previously. After disembarking the pilot, the master remained on the bridge until handing over to the second officer shortly before 2300 and then retired for rest. At approximately 0130 on 10 March, Solong altered course near Longstone Lighthouse and maintained a heading of 150°, aside from a minor deviation at 0345. By 0700, the master had returned to the bridge as the sole watchkeeper. Visibility in the area at the time was reported to be variable, ranging between 0.25 and 2.0 nautical miles. Neither vessel had a dedicated lookout on the bridge.
At 0947, Solong collided with the port side of the anchored Stena Immaculate while travelling at approximately 16 knots. An able seaman from Solong, Mark Pernia, was reported to be in the forecastle area at the time. Pernia has not been located and is presumed to have died in the incident.
The collision breached Stena Immaculate’s No.7 port cargo tank, resulting in the release of aviation fuel into the sea and onto Solong’s bow. The fuel ignited due to heat generated by the impact, leading to a fire that spread to containers on board Solong. Both crews responded promptly, but the severity of the fire hindered their efforts. The crew of each vessel abandoned ship to lifeboats and were recovered by local boats and emergency responders, coordinated by His Majesty’s Coastguard.
The MAIB’s investigation is examining a range of factors, including navigation and watchkeeping practices, fatigue management, vessel maintenance, the use of the offshore anchorage near the Humber Estuary, and the prevailing environmental conditions at the time. A final report will be issued following a 30-day consultation with key stakeholders.
I find it incredible that at the time of collision, the Master was the only person on watch on the Solong. Actually this is very suspicious, especially with the reduced visibility.
Some may already have reached the conclusion that this was a deliberate act of sabotage. I find it very hard to believe any alternative explanation.