North Sea ship crash: Crew of US oil tanker praised as 'heroic'

The crew of a US oil tanker struck by a container ship in the North Sea have been praised as "heroic" for triggering a crucial firefighting system before abandoning the vessel.

A sailor from the Portuguese-registered Solong is missing presumed dead after the collision off the east coast of Yorkshire on Monday morning.

The Stena Immaculate had been carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated tanks, but the maritime company that operates the tanker said only one was damaged thanks to the actions of the crew.

Vice president of the firm Crowley, Cal Hayden, said: "Before being forced to abandon ship, the crew had the dedication and presence of mind to ensure fire monitors were active in order to provide boundary cooling water to the adjacent cargo tanks.

"Their heroic action limited damage to only the cargo tanks impacted due to the allision."

A fire on the ship burned for three days after the incident and a salvage team has confirmed that 17,515 barrels of the 220,000 being carried have been lost, the company said.

Crowley said the remaining cargo and bunkers are secure and the salvage operation is ongoing.

"The Coastguard position remains that there continues to be no cause for concern for pollution from the tanker," a statement said.

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The Solong's captain, Russian national Vladimir Motin, 59, appeared at Hull Magistrates' Court on Saturday morning charged with gross negligence manslaughter and was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on 14 April.

The missing crew member has been named by the Crown Prosecution Service as 38-year-old Filipino national Mark Angelo Pernia.

He was working on the forward deck where there was an explosion following the collision and his fellow crew members were not able to find him before evacuating.

A large search and rescue operation was launched and successfully brought 36 people from both ships back ashore.

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