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Smoke on the cargo ship "Solong" after the collision of two ships in the North Sea.
Image: dpa
After the collision of two ships in the North Sea, the question remains as to the consequences of the accident: is there now a threat of an environmental disaster? Answers to the most important questions.
Following the collision between two ships off the British coast, the authorities assume that a missing sailor has died. The police launch an investigation - one man is arrested. But what consequences could the accident have for the environment? The answers to the most important questions.
Once the thick clouds of smoke had cleared over the huge shipwreck off the English North Sea coast, the damage became visible: there was a huge gaping hole on the port side of the oil tanker "Stena Immaculate". Gas and liquids appeared to be leaking from various places, as can be seen in aerial photographs taken by the BBC a day after the collision with the freighter "Solong".
The fire on the tanker has probably been extinguished, said the British Under-Secretary of State responsible, Mike Kane, in a statement in Parliament in London this afternoon. However, the freighter is still in flames and drifting south without a pilot. Aerial photographs from the BBC showed that it was largely burnt out.
At times it was feared that the tanker could sink or run aground. The all-clear was given in the evening: the Ministry of Transport announced that both ships were not expected to sink according to preliminary estimates.
The freighter "Solong" could be moored and towed away from the coast, said Minister Heidi Alexander. Salvage work could be started. Although the freighter is still on fire, a tow rope has been attached.
It had been feared that the ship's diesel could escape and pollute the coast if the ship sank or ran aground. This risk has now been reduced, according to a statement from the Ministry of Transport. The Hamburg-based shipping company Ernst Russ, which owns the ship, had previously denied reports that it was carrying several containers of toxic sodium cyanide. The containers had been empty.
However, it was uncertain how much of the 220,000 barrels (almost 35 million liters) of jet fuel on board the "Stena Immaculate" could have leaked into the sea. According to the US shipping company Crowley, the fuel was spread across 16 tanks, at least one of which was damaged in the collision.
Greenpeace scientist Paul Johnston said before Ernst Russ' sodium cyanide denial that his organization was "extremely concerned about the multiple toxic hazards these chemicals could pose to marine life". Apparently, kerosene entered the water near an area where porpoises raise their calves.
Ivan Vince of ASK Consultants, a firm specializing in environmental risk consulting, said the "good news" is that the leaking kerosene does not permanently pollute the ocean like petroleum. "Most of it will evaporate fairly quickly, decomposed fairly quickly by microorganisms," said the expert. However, the kerosene will kill fish and other creatures.
The environmental protection organization Greenpeace in the UK expressed its concern. "Both the high speed and the videos of the consequences give cause for great concern," said a spokesman on Monday when asked by the German Press Agency. However, it was still too early to determine the extent of the damage to the environment, the spokesman added.
Secretary of State for Transport Mike Kane told the British Parliament that there was currently "no evidence of pollution" of the North Sea by the two ships.
The Dutch salvage company Boskalis has been commissioned to salvage the "Stena Immaculate". Four ships are on their way to the scene of the accident, a Boskalis spokesman told the German Press Agency.
The danger of the tanker breaking apart was small. The two ships were no longer wedged together. According to the information provided, the experts will first cool the tanker from the outside. "We first have to cool it down and ensure that the temperature on the ship drops." The plan is to tow the tanker to a safe harbor.
The German Central Command for Maritime Emergencies also sent a multi-purpose vessel to assist. The "Mellum" from the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration arrived in the late morning. Among other things, it was equipped with fire-fighting equipment and oil recovery equipment. Around 20 people were on board, according to the emergency command.
A DO 228 aircraft was also sent out. The German Armed Forces call it an "oil hunter" because it can use powerful cameras and sensors to help find pollutants in the water. Both the crew of the "Mellum" and the crew of the aircraft received their orders on site from the British coastguard, the statement continued.
11.03.2025, 21:14
11.03.2025, 21:19
