Tanker on fire – support from Germany on the go

An oil tanker is on fire in the North Sea near the British coast. The « Stena Immaculate » collided in the morning due to the cause of the cargo « Solong », which has not yet been clarified, and caught fire. Dense swaths of smoke can be seen on photos and videos from the scene of the accident. According to the shipping company Crowley, aircraft fuel emerged in the accident. How much and what consequences this could have was initially not known.

According to official information, nobody died. The BBC quoted a British MP who stated that a person was taken to the hospital, all other 36 seafarers from both ships were safe.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Strander expressed that it was an « extremely worrying situation ». Without knowing any further details, there is no speculation about the cause of the accident. According to the BBC, the tanker's fuel from the US Department of Defense had invited. The « Stena Immaculate » drives under the US flag, the « Solong » among Portuguese.

Because of the burning oil tanker, the accident command has sent a German multi -purpose ship to support. The « Mellum » of the federal government's waterway and shipping management is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday afternoon, as the accident command announced.

The home port of the multi -purpose ship is Wilhelmshaven. The « Mellum » can take different roles and is equipped with technology for fire fighting and to absorb oil. Around 20 people are on board, it said.

« Oil hunter » is ready on call

In addition, a Type DO 228 aircraft is available on call. It is also stationed in Lower Saxony and would take off tomorrow in Nordholz (Cuxhaven district), as it was said. The Bundeswehr describes it as « oil hunters » because it can help with powerful cameras and sensors to find pollutants in the water. At the moment, however, the weather conditions did not allow the aircraft to be used in a meaningful use, the accident command said. If necessary, it should start towards England on Tuesday morning.

According to the accident command, the support is carried out in the context of the Convention on Cooperation in the Combination of the contamination of the North Sea through oil and other pollutants, better known as Bonn Convention.

Greenpeace: reason for great concern

The environmental protection organization Greenpeace in Great Britain announced that the reports were observed. « Both the high speed and the videos of the consequences give rise to great concern, » said a spokesman at the request of the German Press Agency.

However, it was too early to determine the extent of damage to the environment, the speaker continues. The size of several factors, including the type and the amount of oil that the tanker had invited, hung the magnitude of the fuel in both ships and how much of it got into the water.

As an exit of oil has an effect, it also depends on the weather conditions. « In the event of an oil spill or a loss of dangerous goods from the affected container ship, the speed of the reaction will also be decisive to limit effects, » said the Greenpeace spokesman.

« Several explosions on board »

It was too early to speculate about the cause of the accident, said the managing director of the shipping company Stena Bulk, Erik Hanell. The company Crowley, which supervises the technology of the « Stena Immaculate », said at X that the tanker was in front of anchor when it was rammed by the freighter. A tank with the aircraft fuel was damaged and a fire broke out. There were « several explosions on board ». The Head of Grimsby's port expressed that he was told by a « fireball ».

The chairman of the city council of the nearby city Hull spoke in the BBC of a « devastating » situation. The potential environmental consequences are worrying that in the coming days there must be “very quickly” working on understanding them. The coast guard checks whether and which measures could be necessary to combat environmental threats.

Alarm in the morning

On websites that pursue ship routes in detail, you can see how several ships are nearby. The first alarm was triggered shortly before 11 a.m. CET. The British Minister of Transport Heidi Alexander wrote at X that she was « concerned » and in contact with the authorities and the coast guard. She thanked all rescue workers involved for their commitment.