Collision in the North Sea: A tanker and a cargo ship collide off the coast of Yorkshire

Emergency response underway

A collision occurred on Monday, March 10, 2025, in the North Sea, off the coast of Yorkshire, between a tanker and a cargo ship. The alarm was raised just before 11 a.m. (Paris time), and an emergency response is currently underway. The UK’s HM Coastguard has mobilized a rescue helicopter, lifeboats, an aircraft, and nearby ships equipped to fight the fires. Both vessels are on fire, as shown in a video depicting large plumes of black smoke.

Casualty toll and search for missing crew

More than 20 injured individuals have been rescued and brought ashore in Grimsby, but some crew members remain missing. Several people abandoned the ships after the collision, according to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). An assessment of a potential pollution risk is also underway.

The tanker involved, Stena Immaculate, flies the American flag and is operated by the Crowley company, while the Portuguese cargo ship, Solong, was en route from the Scottish port of Grangemouth to Rotterdam. The Stena Immaculate was heading toward Killingholme, UK, before the incident. This tanker is part of a US government program designed to supply fuel to the military in times of crisis, though there is no indication it was being used for this purpose at the time of the accident.