Crashed North Sea vessel captain is Russian national

The captain of the cargo ship which collided with a US oil tanker in the North Sea is a Russian national, the vessel’s owner has said.

- BRYONY GOOCH

A 59-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision, Humberside Police have said.

The Solong cargo ship crashed into the Stena Immaculate oil tanker on Monday at 9:48am off the coast of East Yorkshire.

Grainy thermal camera footage released on Wednesday showed the container ship heading towards the stationary oil tanker before smashing into it, sending a massive fireball into the air.

Police shared a statement on Wednesday morning to confirm “a 59-year-old man remains in our custody having been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision”.

A spokesperson for shipping company Ernst Russ, which owns Solong, said: “The captain is a Russian national.”

They also confirmed that the rest of the crew were Russian and Filipino nationals.