What we know in the aftermath of the shock between an oil tanker and a container carrier-Liberation
Monday, March 10, the oil tanker STENA IMMACULATE, temporarily chartered by the American army, was struck by the container carrier Solong, Property of a German transport company beating the Portuguese pavilion, while it was wet off the coast of Yorkshire, northeast of England. The shock between the first ship, who left for Greece towards northern England, and the second, which operated between Scotland and the Netherlands, caused an important fire on the oil tanker and broke a reservoir of kerosene. A vast rescue operation, coordinated by the British Coast Guard, was triggered, allowing to save members of the two crews, brought back to the ground to be transported to the hospital.
Thirty-six people of the two crews could be saved from the flames, said Crowley, operator of the STENA IMMACULATE. « They are safe and sound », Added the company in a press release. But a crew member of Solong is always missing the day after the collision. After several hours of research, the latter ended, the British coast guard announced. « After intensive research, unfortunately was not found and research is completed »said their divisional commander Matthew Atkinson. According to the British government, the disappeared crew member is presumed dead.
After the shock, concerns quickly developed on the risk of pollution linked to the leak of kerosene of STENA IMMACULATE, carrier of 200,000 barrels of kerosene, but also to the goods transported by the Solong. The latter was indeed transporting an undefined quantity of alcohol and fifteen containers of sodium cyanide, a flammable and very toxic gas, according to the specialized site Lloyd's List Intelligence. Information denied in the middle of the day by its owner.
What encourage Downing Street to speak to talk about a situation « Extremely worrying », While the NGO Greenpeace raised the « Multiple toxic risks that these chemicals could pose in marine life ». « Kerosene which has entered the water near a porpoise reproduction area is toxic to fish and other sea creatures »said Paul Johnston, scientist at the Greenpeace research laboratories at the University of Exeter.
Contacted by AFP, Ivan Vince, director of the ASK Consultants, specialized in environmental risk safety, is more prudent, stressing that kerosene is however « Not persistent » in the environment: « The essential will evaporate quickly and what does not evaporate will be degraded quickly enough by microorganisms » sailors.
The Maritime Accident Investigation Branch (Maib) announced that it has sent a team on site to make first findings. The investigation will progress slowly, warns the maritime security consultant David MacFarlane, requested by the Guardian : it will be necessary « Weeks, even months, to reach a final conclusion ». To facilitate the work of investigators, the port area has been reserved only for the sworn workers on the site. « All ship movements are currently suspended in the Humber (maritime estuary of the northeast coast of England) due to the incident »said the British port company ABP.
At this stage, there is « No reason to think » Whether it is a criminal act, said Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesperson. “The management of maritime accident surveys will obviously carry out the preliminary assessment of the collision. I'm not going to advance on this work, but from what I understand, there is no reason to think for the moment that it is a criminal act. «
Update at 2:03 p.m. With statements by the British government.
