Crowley, which manages the Stena Immaculate, said there were “multiple explosions onboard” when the vessel suffered a ruptured cargo tank.
More than 30 casualties have been brought ashore after the US-flagged tanker and Portuguese-registered container ship collided in the Humber Estuary at about 10am this morning (Monday, March 10).
The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is “waiting to see if there is any pollution into the North Sea from this incident”, a director at the charity said.
Footage shows at least one vessel on fire, with clouds of black smoke billowing into the air after the collision.
So far 32 casualties have been brought ashore – but some crew members are yet to be accounted for, a port boss said.
A company spokesperson said Crowley is “actively working with public agencies to contain the fire and secure the vessel”.
“Our first priority is the safety of the people and environment,” they added. “We will provide more updates as information becomes available.”
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) said there were fires on both vessels involved in the crash.
Four lifeboat crews – from Bridlington, Cleethorpes, Mablethorpe and Skegness – were called to the scene as well as a coastguard helicopter.
“They must have sent a mayday out – luckily there was a crew transfer vessel out there already,” he told the PA news agency. “Since then there has been a flotilla of ambulances to pick up anyone they can find.”
Wildlife trust ‘waiting to see’ if pollution has entered sea
Martin Slater, director of operations at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, described the incident as “very worrying” and said the charity is “following developments closely, including waiting to see if there is any pollution into the North Sea from this incident”.
“Our thoughts are with everyone on the ships and the rescue crews,” he said.
The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust said East Yorkshire’s coast is home to protected and significant colonies of seabirds including puffins, razorbills, gannets and kittiwakes.
“Winds are currently in a northerly direction which means the impact on the Flamborough area could be negligible. But if pollution spillage enters the Humber, this could potentially be devastating for overwintering and migrating birds who use the mud flats,” a spokesperson said.
They added that the Humber Estuary is one of the most environmentally protected areas of the UK.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said it has deployed investigators to Grimsby.
“Our team of inspectors and support staff are gathering evidence and undertaking a preliminary assessment of the accident to determine our next steps,” a spokesperson said.
