Solong: Container ship failed safety checks as owner confirms captain is Russian national

The revelation comes as the owner of the Solong, Ernst Russ, confirmed the captain who has been arrested by Humberside Police is a Russian national.

The 59-year-old man arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter after a collision between a tanker and a cargo ship in the North Sea remains in custody, police have said.

Humberside Police said: “Detectives are continuing to conduct extensive lines of inquiry alongside partners in connection with the collision between a tanker and cargo vessel in the North Sea, off the coast of Grimsby, north-east Lincolnshire.

“A 59-year-old man remains in our custody, having been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision.”

The captain of Portuguese vessel Solong was arrested after the ship crashed into the US tanker Stena Immaculate on Monday (Mar 10). The former is drifting and on fire, but is no longer expected to sink.

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

Port state control (PSC) inspection documents from July last year show Irish officials deemed Solong’s “emergency steering position communications/compass reading” was “not readable”.

This was among 10 deficiencies highlighted during the inspection of the Portuguese vessel in Dublin.

Other issues include alarms being “inadequate”, survival craft “not properly maintained”, and fire doors “not as required”.

Another PSC inspection by Scottish authorities in Grangemouth in October 2024 found two deficiencies with Solong.

One of these was related to lifebuoys – designed to be thrown into the water to prevent drowning – being “not properly marked”.

Solong was not detained after the inspections in Dublin or Grangemouth.

PSC inspections are carried out on ships in ports around the world.

They are aimed at verifying the condition of a vessel and that its equipment meets international regulations.

Crowley, the maritime company managing the Stena Immaculate, said the jet fuel spill from the vessel has had a “limited” impact.

It remains unclear how much Jet A1 fuel was released when the ship was hit by Solong, but an initial review shows it had evaporated due to exposure to fires on both vessels.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said Solong is now expected to stay afloat, while HM Coastguard said it has attached a tow line to the vessel and it is offshore “in a safer position”.

A salvage plan for both ships is currently being developed as the clean-up efforts enter a third day.

Crowley said Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks, at least one of which “was ruptured” when it was struck.

In an update on Tuesday evening, the company said: “It remains unclear at this time what volume of fuel may have been released as a result of the incident, but initial review shows impacts have been limited due to exposure to the fire and evaporation of the Jet A1 fuel.”

Dr Alex Lukyanov, from the University of Reading, a researcher on advanced mathematical models of oil spills, previously said the incident was “troubling” because it appeared to involve persistent oil, which breaks up slowly in water, while he also suggested the “environmental toll could be severe”.

The tanker was operating as part of the US government’s tanker security programme, a group of commercial vessels that can be contracted to carry fuel for the military when needed.

It had been anchored while waiting for a berth to become available at the Port of Killingholme, on the River Humber, Crowley said.

HM Coastguard said on Tuesday evening that some flames were still visible on Solong’s main deck and firefighting efforts were focusing on this area.

It said the Stena Immaculate remains at anchor with safety tug boats and has a “greatly reduced” fire with no visible flames.

Assistant chief coastguard John Craig said: “A comprehensive counter-pollution response is in place and HM Coastguard continues to make preparations for any pollution that may occur as a result of the damage to the vessels.

“The MCA’s concern in relation to tanks on the Solong has reduced with tugs now able to work in close vicinity.

“The threat from the previously identified dangerous goods on board has reduced significantly. Air quality sampling onshore has shown no toxins and modelling from the Met Office indicates no threat to the public.”

Ms Alexander said she is “reassured” to hear that sodium cyanide containers on board the Solong were empty, and is “also pleased to have been informed that early indications suggest that both vessels are now expected to stay afloat”.

Four empty containers on board that “previously contained the hazardous chemical” will “continue to be monitored”, Ernst Russ said.

Transport minister Mike Kane told MPs on Tuesday that something went “terribly wrong” for the crash to happen and there was “no evidence” of foul play.

Mr Kane added that the Government will “do everything to recover the body of the mariner”.