Two ships carrying jet fuel and sodium cyanide collide in North Sea

The crash involving a cargo ship and oil tanker off the East Yorkshire coast is bad news for the sea, fish and air in the area. What we don’t know yet is quite how bad it will be.

That depends on a few things – but the speed of the collision, clouds of filthy black smoke from the fires and the leaked fuel are certainly worrying.

Read the full story from Sky News.

The “tragic” collision between a cargo ship and an oil tanker in the North Sea “shows once again that spills occur everywhere Big Oil goes”, according to the head of a charity.

“We are now seeing toxic oil pouring from the 183-metre-long tanker into – or very near – a sensitive area designated to protect declining harbour porpoises,” said Hugo Tagholm, executive director of Oceana UK.

“As these animals are forced to come to the surface to breathe, they risk inhaling poisonous fumes and choking on oil.

“Local livelihoods could well be threatened in the North East since oil contamination can impact commercial fish populations, along with the shellfish industry, in addition to the potential impacts on human health.

“We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the destruction this industry causes. Ending the era of Big Oil and building a future powered by clean, renewable energy is paramount, for UK seas, for our communities and our future.”

The wildlife found in the area where the collision has happened is of “immense biological, cultural and economic importance”, according to Dr Tom Webb, senior lecturer in marine ecology and conservation at the University of Sheffield.

“In addition to the wealth of marine life that is present all year round, this time of the year is crucial for many migratory species,” he added.

“Wading birds and waterfowl gather in large numbers as they move between wintering and breeding grounds, while soon Yorkshire’s iconic seabirds will be coming inshore to breed at sites like the world famous Bempton Cliffs.

“Chemical pollution resulting from incidents of this kind can directly impact birds, and it can also have long-lasting effects on the marine food webs that support them.

“We have to hope that any spills can be quickly contained and pollution minimised.”

Northern gannet (Morus bassanus) adult sea bird head portrait, England, United Kingdom, Europe

The container ship that crashed into an oil tanker under commission from the US military was carrying sodium cyanide. But what is it?

Sodium cyanide is a soluble cyanide salt made by combining cyanide with sodium hydroxide to create a compound that can be used in the process of gold extraction.

While cyanide is a highly toxic chemical that was used in World War One, it comes from natural substances that can be found in certain foods and plants.

According to the government’s own incident management guidance on the hazardous substance, “sodium and potassium cyanide liberate fumes of hydrogen cyanide after exposure to water, moist air, acids and acid salts”, additionally, it can “emit toxic fumes including hydrogen cyanide and nitrogen oxides when heated to decomposition”.

The effects of exposure can be fatal, while lesser side effects include dizziness, nausea, heart issues, vomiting, convulsions and loss of consciousness.

Authorities are likely to be looking into contamination issues for staff on the vessels, as well as rescue crews and those who come into contact with water in the area.

A three-mile no-fly zone has been set up around the area of the collision between an oil tanker chartered by the US military and a container ship carrying sodium cyanide.

The zone goes up to 2,000ft above sea level and bans planes from flying in the area, The Telegraph reported.

A wildlife charity boss has said jet fuel leaking into the Humber could be “devastating for the wildlife of the estuary” as many birds are gathering offshore ahead of the nesting season and there are “significant numbers” of seals in the area.

Martin Slater, director of operations at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said: “Our thoughts are with everyone on the ships and the rescue crews.

“This is obviously a very worrying incident and we’re following developments closely, including waiting to see if there is any pollution into the North Sea from this incident.

“East Yorkshire’s coast is home to protected and significant colonies of seabirds including puffins, razorbills, gannets and kittiwakes. Many birds are gathering offshore on the sea ahead of the nesting season.

“There are significant numbers of Atlantic grey seals in the area, many rearing this year’s young, as well as porpoises and other cetaceans around Spurn.

“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.”

Two maritime security sources said there was no indication of any malicious activity or other actors involved in a crash on Monday between a tanker carrying jet fuel and a cargo vessel off the coast of England, Reuters reported.

The tanker that was hit by a cargo vessel off the coast of East Yorkshire this morning was under charter by the US military, Reuters reported.

The Stena Immaculate tanker was on a short-term charter to the US Navy’s Military Sealift Command, a US military spokesperson told Reuters

A Yorkshire wildlife charity has warned of the potential environmental impact following a tanker crash off the coast of East Yorkshire…

Coastguard boats and aircraft are currently working to rescue as many people as they can. Now, the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has warned of the potential environmental impact of the crash. The charity said there were “significant” colonies of seabirds on the coast, including puffins, razorbills, gannets and kittiwakes.

Read the full story from Yorkshire Live.

Downing Street said details of the cause of the collision were “still becoming clear”. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said it was an “extremely concerning situation”.

He said: “We thank the emergency services for their rapid response. I understand the Department for Transport is working closely with the coastguard to help support the response to the incident.

“We’re obviously monitoring the situation, we’ll continue to co-ordinate the response and we’re grateful to emergency personnel for their continued efforts.”

Asked if there were any theories about what happened, the spokesman said: “My understanding is the details are still becoming clear, so I don’t want to speculate on that.”

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has deployed a team to conduct a preliminary assessment, the spokesman said.

Live blog graphic Recap

A Grimsby port boss has issued an casualty update as 32 people have since been rescued from a ship crash off the coast of Yorkshire.

A US oil tanker and cargo vessel collided around 10 miles off the coast of Withernsea, at around 9.50am, on Monday morning (March 10). Lifeboats and a coastguard helicopter were called to help assist crews on the ships following collision, believed to involve a US-flagged tanker called the MV Stena Immaculate, and a Rotterdam-bound cargo vessel the Solong.

Martyn Boyers, chief of Grimsby East, said 23 people have been brought in so far before another eight people joined the casualty list – bringing the list to 32 – as the rescue efforts continue into the afternoon. However, he said some crew members were unaccounted for in an update.

Read the full story from Yorkshire Live.

Speaking in Parliament, environment minister Baroness Hayman of Ullock said she was “extremely shocked and concerned” about the North Sea collision.

Describing it as an “emerging picture”, she added: “We are speaking very closely in Defra (the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) to the Department for Transport and Maritime and Coastguard Agency, who are leading the government response on this and who are at the moment assessing the situation.”

Lady Hayman said the Environment Agency was also engaging on any clean-up needed.

Graham Stuart, Conservative MP for for Beverley and Holderness and minister for climate commented following the collision. (Alamy)

Graham Stuart, the MP for Beverley and Holderness, said he understood that only one person was in hospital following the collision.

The Tory MP said: “Like many people across Beverley and Holderness and beyond, I’ve been watching the images from off the coast of Withernsea with a great deal of concern.

“I’ve now spoken with the Transport Secretary and I understand that only one person is in hospital.

“The other 36 mariners across both crews are safe and accounted for.

“While we will be thankful that everyone has been brought ashore, I continue to be concerned about the potential ecological impact.

“That’s why I’m calling for a unified command structure, to bring together government, police, Coastguard, the Environment Agency, local authorities and your MPs together.”

Greenpeace UK said it was “too early” to know the extent of any environmental damage.

A spokesperson said: “We are monitoring reports of a cargo vessel crashing into an oil tanker off the coast of Yorkshire very closely.

“Both the high speed of the collision and the footage of the aftermath are cause for great concern.

“Right now, our thoughts are with all those affected by the incident and the emergency services responding to the situation.

“At this stage, it’s too early to assess the extent of any environmental damage. But the magnitude of any impact will depend on a number of factors, including the amount and type of oil carried by the tanker, the fuel carried by both ships, and how much of that, if any, has entered the water.

“Sea and weather conditions will also be important in determining how any spill behaves.

“In the case of an oil spill or any loss of hazardous cargo from the container ship involved, the speed of the response will also be crucial in limiting any impact.”

This graphic details the route of Solong and Stena Immaculate before the collision.

From what we can see, Stena Immaculate appears to have been hit while at anchor.

Take a look below.

The collision took place in the North Sea off the East Yorkshire coast. (PA)

The Stena Immaculate oil tanker sustained a ruptured cargo tank after it was struck by container ship Solong in the North Sea today, causing “multiple explosions” and jet fuel to be released into the water.

The confirmation came from the ship’s management firm Crowley, who has just issued its first statement to PA since the incident.

New photos of the oil tanker crash in the North Sea have emerged, capturing the blaze that erupted on the US-flagged tanker, the MV Stena Immaculate, as well as the ensuing clean-up.

Take a look at the photos below.

(Bartek Smialek/PA Wire)

(Bartek Smialek/PA Wire)

(Bartek Smialek/PA Wire)

(Bartek Smialek/PA Wire)

New footage from the collision near the Humber Estuary has now been released.

The footage, captured by Bartek Smialek, shows black smoke billowing into the air after a crash between an oil tanker and a cargo ship off the coast of East Yorkshire.

The Stena Immaculate was involved in collision off the Humber coast. (Creative Commons: Kees Torn)

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch said its inspectors and support staff have started to gather evidence from the collision.

A spokesperson from the government organisation said: “The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has deployed a team to Grimsby following the collision of the Portuguese registered container ship Solong and the US registered oil tanker Stena Immaculate which collided in the North Sea this morning.

“Our team of inspectors and support staff are gathering evidence and undertaking a preliminary assessment of the accident to determine our next steps.”

Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, said a further nine casualties have been brought ashore aboard a harbour pilot vessel taking the total number to 32.