Dozens injured

Oil tanker on fire after collision with cargo ship

Footage of black smoke rising into the air after the collision between an oil tanker and a cargo ship off the coast of East Yorkshire.(Bild: Screenshot kameraOne/Bartek Smialek)

A serious shipping accident has occurred off the coast of East Yorkshire, injuring dozens of people: The US-flagged oil tanker, "MV Stena Immaculate", has caught fire following a collision with a Portuguese container ship - sparking fears of an environmental disaster.

32 injured people have so far been brought ashore following the accident off the north-east English county of Yorkshire, the head of the Grimsby East Port Authority announced on Monday.

The incident occurred in the morning near Hull while the "Stena Immaculate" was at anchor. Eyewitnesses reported huge clouds of smoke rising above the scene of the accident. The manager of the port of Grimsby said that he had received reports of a "fireball".

Speed and videos "give cause for concern"
Meanwhile, the British Coastguard stated that it was "likely" that the accident had resulted in pollution of the sea. The environmental protection organization Greenpeace in the UK said it was monitoring the reports closely. "Both the high speed and the videos of the consequences give cause for great concern," said a spokesperson when asked by the German Press Agency.

Footage of black smoke rising into the air following a collision between an oil tanker and a cargo ship off the coast of East Yorkshire.(Bild: Screenshot kameraOne/Bartek Smialek)

The scale of the impact would depend on several factors, including the type and amount of oil the tanker was carrying, the fuel in both ships and how much of it had leaked into the water.

The impact of an oil spill also depends heavily on the weather conditions. "In the event of an oil spill or a loss of hazardous goods from the container ship affected, the speed of the response will also be crucial in limiting the impact," said the Greenpeace spokesperson.

Both ships in flames
Initial reports indicate that both ships are on fire. Particularly worrying: the tanker is said to have been carrying oil and chemicals. The Swedish shipping company Stena Bulk confirmed that it owns the oil tanker.

The company would not provide any further details. According to media reports, the cargo ship involved is a vessel called "Solong" or "So Long", which belongs to a German owner.

Cause of the accident still unclear
A massive rescue operation is underway: several sea rescue boats have been alerted. Firefighters and search and rescue helicopters from the British Coastguard have also been deployed. A spokesperson for HM Coastguard confirmed: "The Coastguard is currently coordinating the emergency response following a collision between a tanker and a cargo ship off the coast of East Yorkshire."

"The alarm was raised at 9.48am. A rescue helicopter from Humberside is at the scene along with several lifeboats and a reconnaissance aircraft." The exact cause of the collision is still unclear.