Solong (2025) | Novatug Maritime Wiki

Classification

Incident Type: Allision
Severity: High

Vessel Details

Field	Value
Vessel Name	Solong
Vessel Names	Solong / Stena Immaculate
Vessel Type	Container
Flag State	Portugal [PT]
IMO Number	9322554
Gross Tonnage	7852
LOA (m)	140.60
Breadth (m)	21.80
Year Built	2005
Crew Size	14

Incident Details

Field	Value
Date	2025-03-10
Location	13 miles off the East Yorkshire coast, near Hull and Grimsby, UK
Region	North Sea
Fatalities
Injuries	1
Missing	1
Cargo Loss	220,000 barrels of jet fuel carried by Stena Immaculate
Outcome	Fires affected both vessels; one Solong crew member remained missing and was presumed dead, one person was taken to hospital, and the amount of fuel released remained uncertain.
Direct Damage
Estimated Economic Damage
Insured Loss
Salvage/Cleanup Cost

Key facts

On 10 March 2025, Solong struck the anchored Stena Immaculate about 13 miles off the East Yorkshire coast, near Hull and Grimsby.
Fires broke out on both vessels. The BBC reported that the Stena Immaculate fire had been extinguished by 12 March while Solong was still emitting smoke with occasional reports of flames.
One of Solong's 14 crew members remained missing and was presumed dead in the BBC report. Thirty-six people from both vessels were brought ashore and one person was taken to hospital.
Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel for the US military, and at least one fuel tank was reported ruptured. The amount released remained uncertain.
The BBC reported a preliminary MAIB assessment, an arrest of the Solong captain on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, and no official finding on the cause of the allision.

Narrative

On 10 March 2025, the Portuguese-flagged container ship Solong struck the anchored US-flagged tanker Stena Immaculate about 13 miles off the East Yorkshire coast. The BBC reported that Stena Immaculate had been anchored since the previous evening after arriving from a Greek port and was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel for the US military. Solong was travelling south from Grangemouth to Rotterdam. One Stena crew member told the BBC's partner CBS that the impact occurred at about 16 knots; tracking data appeared to show one vessel moving and the other nearly stationary.

Fires broke out on both vessels. The 23-person Stena crew abandoned ship after attempting to fight the fire, and the BBC reported that all of them evacuated safely. Thirty-six people from both vessels were brought ashore and one person was taken to hospital. One of Solong's 14 crew members remained missing and was presumed dead in the BBC report; the search was called off after an extensive search. The source also reported that one Stena fuel tank had ruptured, but that the quantity of jet fuel entering the sea was unknown. Some fuel had burned or evaporated, and aerial surveillance had not indicated surface pollution attributable to either vessel at the time of publication.

The cause of the allision was not established. Fog was reported in the area and was described as a possible visibility factor, but the BBC did not present it as an investigation finding. By 12 March, the Stena fire had been extinguished while Solong continued to emit smoke and occasional flames. The BBC reported that MAIB had begun a preliminary assessment and that the Solong captain had been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. These were developments in an ongoing investigation, not official findings on causation.

Sequence of events

Date/time	Event
2025-03-10	Solong struck anchored Stena Immaculate off the East Yorkshire coast, and fires broke out on both vessels.
2025-03-10	The Stena Immaculate crew abandoned ship. Thirty-six people from both vessels were brought ashore, and one person was taken to hospital.
2025-03-10	The search for one missing Solong crew member was called off; the BBC reported that the person was missing and presumed dead.
2025-03-11	The BBC reported that the Solong captain had been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.
2025-03-12	The Stena fire was reported extinguished while Solong continued to emit smoke and occasional flames. The BBC reported that MAIB had begun a preliminary assessment.

Contributing factors

Factor	Evidence status	Description
Reduced visibility in fog	Reported	A port executive and a rescuer described very foggy conditions, and the BBC said fog may have contributed to visibility issues. The cause of the allision remained unclear.
Relative movement of the vessels	Reported	MarineTraffic data appeared to show Solong moving while Stena Immaculate was nearly stationary or anchored. This describes the reported encounter, but does not establish why Solong struck the tanker.

Investigation

The BBC reported that the UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch had begun a preliminary assessment. It also reported the arrest of the Solong captain on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. No official investigation findings were available in the article, and the arrest does not establish the cause of the allision.

References

BBC News: North Sea tanker collision - what we know so far