The MV Solong

The captain of a ship that smashed into a tanker carrying oil for the American military was a Russian national.

MV Solong ploughed into the anchored Stena Immaculate off the Yorkshire coast.

It was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel for fighter planes.

One seaman is missing.

The MV Solong owner Ernst Russ, said the captain was a Russian.

Mr Ernst added the crew was a mix of Russians and Filipino nationals.

Questions have been asked about the crash at sea, given the oil tanker was anchored and the MV Solong did not waver off its course.

Jerome Mayhew, shadow transport minister, said:

“The nationality of the Solong’s captain raised further questions about the incident.

He told PA news agency:

“Where military assets are damaged it is vital that motives are fully investigated to exclude foul play.

“The nationality of the captain of the Solong raises further questions about potential motivation.

“The Government must now get to the bottom of.”

The current investigation into the container ship’s master is a police matter.

Mike Kane, the transport minister, told MPs on Monday that while something went “terribly wrong” there was no evidence to suggest foul play “at the moment”.

Humberside Police said a 59-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision.

The force said: “A 59-year-old man remains in our custody and detectives are continuing to conduct extensive lines of inquiry”.

Data from the ship-tracking website Marine Traffic suggests the Solong was travelling at 16 knots (18 mph) at the point of impact.

Large explosions followed, as both vessels became engulfed in flames, forcing the crews to abandon ship.

The HM Coastguard said the fire onboard the Stena Immaculate was “greatly reduced with no flames visible”, although the Solong remained alight.

The cargo ship is still drifting and on fire in the North Sea but is not expected to sink.

Port state control inspection documents from July last year show Irish officials deemed Solong’s “emergency steering position communications/compass reading” was “not readable”.

This was among 10 deficiencies highlighted during the inspection of the Portuguese vessel in Dublin.

Other issues included alarms being “inadequate”, survival craft “not properly maintained”, and fire doors “not as required”.