SOLONG

On 10 March 2025, the container ship MV Solong collided with the oil tanker MV Stena Immaculate, which was at anchor in the North Sea off the coast of East Yorkshire. Solong, a Portuguese ship flagged out of Madeira, was carrying alcohol, but was also initially thought to have been carrying sodium cyanide. The US-registered Stena Immaculate was carrying aviation fuel on a charter for the United States Air Force (USAF); both ships also had a supply of heavy fuel for their own use. Following several explosions, both vessels caught fire and were abandoned. They remained entangled for the rest of the day, then later they separated. Solong began to drift. Thirty-six people were rescued, with one hospitalised, and one missing, presumed dead. There was no indication of any third-party or malicious involvement in the crash, and primary concerns were to limit potential environmental damage from leaking aviation and ship fuel. A rescue operation involving several European countries was delayed due to fog. An investigation involving the two flagged countries and the UK was announced on 11 March. The same day, Humberside Police opened a criminal investigation and arrested the 59-year-old Russian captain of Solong. On 14 March he was charged with gross negligence manslaughter of the missing crewmember and remanded in custody. On 30 May he pleaded not guilty to the charge at the Old Bailey.