- A container ship collided with an oil tanker near the UK on Monday.
- Early reports indicated the container ship might sink.
- However, it is now expected to remain afloat.
A container ship struck an oil tanker on Monday, causing explosions and leading to the abandonment of both vessels by their crews. One crew member remains unaccounted for and is presumed to have died in the incident. The master of the container ship has been detained by local police, according to the vessel’s owner.
Firefighters continue to battle flames on the main deck of the container ship, the local coastguard said in an update Tuesday evening. Air quality sampling has shown no toxins, and previous concerns about dangerous goods on board the ship have reduced significantly.
Earlier, Mike Kane, the country’s minister for aviation, maritime and security, said in a statement to Parliament that the ship was drifting and not expected to remain afloat. But those fears have now eased.
“I was also pleased to have been informed that early indications suggest that both vessels are now expected to stay afloat and that the container ship can be towed away from the shore, and salvage operations can get underway,” transport secretary Heidi Alexander said in a statement.
The vessel’s owner denied earlier reports that it was hauling sodium cyanide—a dangerous chemical—stating that four of the containers on board had previously carried it.
The ship’s last signaled location, shortly after the crash, would indicate that the water depth at the site was about 70 feet (21 meters), according to vessel tracking and nautical mapping data reviewed by Bloomberg.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman Dave Pares told reporters on Tuesday that there doesn’t appear to be any suggestion of foul play at this time. Humberside Police arrested a 59-year-old man on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision, according to a statement. The ship’s owner later confirmed it was the master of the container ship.
The fire on the oil tanker, which was carrying jet fuel for the US government, has greatly diminished, the coastguard added. The Dutch firm Boskalis said it has been hired to assist with the salvage of the vessel.
While the incident is one of the most significant marine disasters in the UK for years, the country’s Health Security Agency said there is currently a very low risk to the public on shore.
The oil tanker was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel for the US Navy when it leaked an unknown quantity of its cargo due to the collision.
Footage on the BBC website on Tuesday showed a large hole in at least one of the tanker’s tanks, though there was no immediate indication of the vessel sinking. The company managing the tanker stated that it has 16 segregated tanks, which could help limit the extent of the spill. An exclusion zone of one kilometer was established around both vessels.
The area close to the incident plays home to a host of ecologically important sites, including a 50-kilometer (31-mile) glacial tunnel called the Silver Pit, known for its abundant marine life as well as significant bird habitats.
“If pollution spillage enters the Humber, this could potentially be devastating for the wildlife of the estuary, including important fish stocks and tens of thousands of overwintering and migrating birds who use the mud flats,” said Martin Slater, director of operations at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. “Many birds are gathering offshore on the sea ahead of the nesting season and we still have wintering waders – plus migrant birds stopping here.”
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Source: Yahoo
