A serious collision occurred yesterday morning off the east coast of England between the cargo ship Solong and the oil tanker MV Stena Immaculate, which was carrying jet fuel destined for the US military. The incident caused fires on both vessels and a spill of propellant into the North Sea. Of the 37 crewmembers involved, 36 were rescued and one was taken to hospital, while another sailor is still missing. The search for the latter has been suspended, the UK Coastguard said without further details. The rescue operation involved lifeboats, coastguard helicopters and aircraft, and commercial vessels.

The MV Stena Immaculate, a US-flagged oil and chemical tanker, was anchored near the port of Grimsby after departing from Greece. The Solong, a Portuguese-flagged container ship, was en route from Grangemouth, Scotland, to Rotterdam, Netherlands, when it struck the tanker's side.

According to US marine management company Crowley which operates the Stena Immaculate, the tanker suffered a rupture of a cargo tank containing Jet-A1 fuel, causing a fire and "multiple explosions on board" which resulted in the release of fuel into the sea.

British authorities are assessing pollution control measures and have launched an investigation into the cause of the collision. Greenpeace UK has expressed concern about the ecological impact of the spill, which occurred in a busy fishing area and close to important seabird colonies. Environmental experts suggest the impact could be less severe than a spill of heavier crude oil, as most jet fuel would evaporate quickly. However, the extent of the environmental damage is still being assessed.

The NDTV video below illustrates the story: