36 saved as cargo ship hits oil tanker

ONE person was still missing last night as 36 lives were saved in the North Sea after an oil tanker and cargo ship collided causing a massive fireball explosion.

- By Paul Jeeves

Plumes of black smoke were visible from the shore 10 miles away after a tanker carrying US Defense Department jet fuel was struck at anchor by a Portugal-flagged container ship.

A 10-mile exclusion zone was in place last night amid fears thousands of tons of jet engine oil could spill off the East Yorkshire coast following the crash near the Humber Estuary.

US officials said the collision “will not impact operations or combat readiness”. The White House refused to rule out foul play, according to maritime website Captain.

The container ship, MV Solong, was reportedly carrying 15 containers of sodium cyanide, exposure to which can cause changes in heart rate and, in the most serious cases, breathing problems and even death.

The tanker MV Stena Immaculate had its hull ruptured in the crash at 10am. Solong owner Ernst Russ last night confirmed one crew member remained missing as night fell. The rest were safely ashore, the Hamburg-based shipping company said.