A 59-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter following the devastating North Sea collision, police have confirmed. The arrest marks a significant escalation in the investigation into Monday’s crash, which left one crew member missing.
The incident saw the Portuguese-flagged cargo ship Solong collide with the anchored oil tanker Stena Immaculate around 13 miles off the east coast near Hull. The Solong remains ablaze, with emergency teams still battling to control the fire.
Authorities have now ruled out earlier concerns that the Solong was carrying sodium cyanide. The ship’s owners clarified that while there were four empty containers that had previously held the toxic chemical, none currently contained any hazardous material.
Meanwhile, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch continues to probe the cause of the crash, with reports suggesting that the Solong may have been on autopilot at the time of impact.
The arrested man remains in custody as police inquiries continue.