Arrested ship’s captain is Russian national, owners say

The captain of a cargo ship arrested after a collision with a tanker in the North Sea is a Russian national, the ship’s owner has confirmed.

Humberside Police said the 59-year-old man remained in custody after being arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter on Tuesday.

The Portuguese-flagged Solong and the US-registered tanker Stena Immaculate crashed off the East Yorkshire coast at about 10:00 GMT on Monday.

A missing crew member from the cargo ship is presumed dead after a search and rescue operation was called off late on Monday.

Police said they had begun a criminal investigation into the cause of the collision and was working with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

On Tuesday, Det Ch Supt Craig Nicholson said: “Humberside Police have taken primacy for the investigation of any potential criminal offences which arise from the collision between the two vessels.

“Extensive work has already been carried out, and we are working closely with our partners to understand what happened, and to provide support to all of those affected.”

HM Coastguard said 36 people had been rescued and taken safely to shore.

The Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of aviation fuel to be used by the US military.

Both ships caught fire after the collision triggering a major response from emergency services.

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