One person missing after oil tanker and cargo ship collide in North Sea

One person was reported missing last night after a cargo ship and an oil tanker collided in the North Sea, reportedly releasing jet fuel.

- Hannah Al-Othman Karen McVeigh Jamie Grierson

Crowley, the shipping company that manages MV Stena Immaculate, said there were "multiple explosions onboard" when the oil tanker suffered a ruptured cargo tank.

A spokesman for the owners of the other ship involved, the Portuguese-flagged container ship Solong, said one of its crew of 14 was still missing.

In a statement, the company said: "Both vessels have sustained significant damage in the impact of the collision and the subsequent fire.

"Efforts to locate the missing crew member are ongoing."

More than 30 casualties have been brought ashore so far after the collision off the coast of East Yorkshire yesterday morning.

Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness, said the transport secretary had told him that of the rescued crew members, only one person had been hospitalised.

The BBC reported that the Solong was carrying toxic sodium cyanide, but it remains unclear whether the substance entered the water. The broadcaster said it was understood the Stena Immaculate was transporting jet fuel for the US government.

Footage from the scene showed clouds of black smoke billowing into the air. A spokesperson for Greenpeace UK said it was monitoring the situation closely but that it was too early to assess the extent of any environmental damage.

Crowley said in a statement: "At approximately 10am on 10 March 2025, while anchored off the North Sea coast near Hull, United Kingdom, the Crowley-managed tanker Stena Immaculate was struck by the container ship Solong.