The North Sea bore witness to a maritime disaster recently, when an oil tanker and a cargo ship collided under ‘patchy conditions’ and without ‘dedicated lookouts’, according to a report by maritime investigators. The calamity occurred when the US-registered tanker, the Stena Immaculate, anchored 16 miles off the East Yorkshire coast, was struck by the Portuguese-flagged Solong on the 10th of March. The vessels burned for days post-collision, sparking a major rescue operation that saved 36 crew members from both ships. Tragically, crewman Mark Pernia is still missing and feared dead. The Solong’s Russian skipper, 59-year-old Vladimir Motin, faces charges of gross negligence manslaughter and is set for a courtroom showdown in January 2026.
This story was adapted by The Lincoln Post from original reporting by www.bbc.com.
