(LONDON) — A U.S.-flagged oil tanker spewed black smoke and flames Monday after being struck by a containership off Britain’s North Sea coast, NPR reported.
U.K. Coastguard and firefighting helicopters were hovering over the burning ships as lifeboats ferried survivors away. The chief executive of a nearby port told local media there was a “massive fireball” following the collision. Authorities said 37 people have been rescued. One required hospitalization, and all crew from both ships are now ashore.
The U.S.-flagged vessel, Stena Immaculate, is one of 10 tankers that are part of a U.S. government program supplying fuel to the U.S. military during times of armed conflict or national emergency, the BBC reported.
The U.S. tanker’s operator, Florida-based Crowley Maritime, said that Stena Immaculate was struck by the Portuguese-flagged Solong while anchored off the North Sea coast near Hull in East Yorkshire. It said the tanker was carrying jet fuel, which is now leaking into the sea.
Crowley provided the following statement Monday afternoon EST:
“At approximately 10 a.m. UTC/5 a.m. EDT on March 10, 2025, while stationary and anchored off the North Sea coast near Hull, United Kingdom, the Crowley-managed tanker Stena Immaculate was struck on its port side by the containership Solong. As a result, at least one cargo tank containing Jet-A1 fuel was ruptured.
“Crowley is working closely with response agencies including the HM Coastguard to secure the vessel in a restricted safety area and initiate spill containment response. All 23 Crowley mariners that were on board are safe and accounted for with no reported injuries at this time.
“As with all our operations, Crowley’s priority is to protect the safety of mariners, and the environment. We greatly appreciate the quick actions and support of the U.K. authorities, rescue workers and others to today’s incident and remain committed to working with them on the continued response efforts,” said Cal Hayden, vice president, Crowley global ship management.
“Stena Immaculate is managed by Crowley through a joint venture with owner Stena Bulk USA. In 2023, the tanker was selected by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) to serve in its Tanker Security Program. While under charter on this voyage for the Military Sealift Command, the tanker was anchored while it awaited berth availability at the Port of Killingholme, where it was due to make a standard delivery of fuel as part of a routine service under this program when it was struck.
“At this stage, it is unclear what volume of fuel may have been released as a result of the incident. At the time it was struck, the 596-foot Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks. Crowley is supporting the relevant authorities in the UK who are investigating the incident and will defer to them for any further questions on potential cause.”
A member of the United Kingdom’s parliament representing the area, Graham Stuart, expressed concern in a statement about the collision’s “potential ecological impact.”
“The magnitude of any (environmental) impact will depend on … the amount and type of oil carried by the tanker, the fuel carried by both ships, and how much of that … has entered the water,” Stefano Gelmini, a spokesman for Greenpeace U.K., told NPR in an emailed statement. “Sea and weather conditions will also be important in determining how any spill behaves.”
