Channel collision with US Jet fuel tanker

Don’t know if you have been following the story – the Stena Immaculate, a tanker part of the US fleet of ten ships which carry jet fuel for the military, was hit by a Portugese-flagged container ship east of England Monday. Fire broke out, both crews abandoned ship, the Solong container ship is expected to sink, and we’re down some support capacity.

An American man who said he was among the crew on the MV Stena Immaculate tanker when it was hit Monday by a cargo ship, causing both vessels to burst into flames off England’s east coast, told CBS News the other ship “came from out of the blue” and rammed the Stena.

He said he was near to the part of the Stena Immaculate where the Portugal-flagged container ship Solong made its impact, and that he had only seconds to react when he heard shouts to brace before impact. Then, all of a sudden, he said “a massive ship came from out of the blue.”

The man said the Solong didn’t immediately stop after smashing into the Stena, and that it felt like it continued to drive into the ship for about 10 minutes after the initial impact. The man said other crew members on the Stena, which was apparently carrying jet fuel for the U.S. military, described how it appeared as though nobody was on the bridge of the Solong at the moment of the crash.

Pretty sure that is major negligence in those waters.

Flames erupted from the Stena and the crew immediately jumped into action, the man said. He said they put on protective gear and tried to fight the fire, but quickly determined it wouldn’t be possible and decided to abandon ship.

The man described flames lapping at the crew as they boarded the lifeboat, and said some of the sailors even had singed hair because the fire was so close. He said they couldn’t have waited any longer to get off the vessel, and the whole incident from impact to evacuation lasted about 30 minutes.  CBS News

Much of the fire has burned it self out according to reports. The ships have since separated, and only one probable death has been reported, a missing man from the Solong.

Initial reports said the Solong had containers of sodium cyanide aboard, but later follow-ups say that four containers had carried the chemical on a previous trip but did not at the time of the collision. At this time no major ecological disaster is forecast, and it is expected that the Solong will sink on its own off the coast. Its position was over about 70 feet depth water.  Bloomberg

At this time, despite the anchored tanker’s position being broadcast, the collision is being treated as a simple accident. The tanker has 16 tanks for fuel, and at least one was breached in the collision.  At  this time it does not appear the entire ship will be lost.

Despite that, I suspect the Solong’s skipper has some ‘spainin’ to do.

Category: Dick Stepping