North Sea crash latest: Crew member from tanker tells Sky News he's grateful to be alive after ordeal

Man arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter over crash

A 59-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision yesterday. 

Humberside Police launched a criminal investigation and the senior investigating officer Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Nicholson has issued this statement: "Extensive work has already been carried out, and we are working closely with our partners to understand what happened, and to provide support to all of those affected.

"Following enquiries undertaken by my team, we have arrested a 59-year-old man on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision, this follows the conclusion of search operations by HM Coastguard for the missing crew member of the Solong."

The man arrested remains in custody. 

How could this happen with all the advanced equipment we have?

The cause of yesterday's collision remains unclear, but experts are baffled considering the advanced equipment most ships are fitted with.

Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the nearby Port of Grimsby East, told CNN: "It seems a mystery, really, because all the vessels now have very highly sophisticated technical equipment to plot courses and to look at any obstacles or anything they've got to avoid.

"It's difficult to actually suggest what went on, other than the fact it should never have happened," he added.

He also said there must have been some warning signs. 

"They must have been able to detect it on the radar," he added. 

Emergency services still battling Solong vessel blaze

This video, from the Sky News helicopter, shows emergency services continuing to battle a blaze on the vessel Solong. 

There is a concern that the cargo ship could sink following yesterday's collision.

One of the sailors on board the Solong is still missing, presumed dead. 

It has drifted some 14.5 nautical miles from the initial impact site - which led to difficulty finding it earlier today.

'It's been a hell of a time': Crew member from tanker tells Sky News he's grateful to be alive after crash ordeal

One of the crew members from the tanker Stena Immaculate has told Sky News he is grateful to be alive after the extraordinary events in the North Sea yesterday.

Members of the 23-strong crew remain in Grimsby as investigators and salvage teams begin the search for answers over the collision.

The American crew member, who did not want to be identified, said he now just wanted to go home, after the drama of being forced to abandon ship amid multiple explosions in the vessel's cargo of jet fuel.

In a hotel restaurant in the town centre today, a group of crew members from the Immaculate were having lunch, largely unnoticed by the usual groups of midweek diners. The afternoon tea crowd were surrounding a small group of men who had escaped potential catastrophe at sea.

A few tables away, one of the salvage crews that has arrived in Grimsby to handle the aftermath of the collision pored over charts of the area on laptops.

One crew member from the Immaculate was asked how he was feeling. His response: "A lot better than yesterday."

Another told Sky News: "I'm just fine. I've been doing this for forty years. I'm just keen to get back on another ship."

"It has been a hell of a time," said another. "But the crew's all fine, thanks. Godspeed."

None of those we spoke to were willing to talk about their experiences of the actual crash.

Officials from the US maritime company Crowley, which was managing the Immaculate on behalf of the US Navy, have also arrived in Grimsby to support crew members as the full impact of what happened on the North Sea unfolds.

As crew members left the dining room for meetings with officials, one snapped a photo with his phone of the burning vessel on television news coverage.

He turned away and sighed: "What a day."

Counter pollution measures to be deployed

A bit more from aviation, maritime, and security minister Mike Kane.

He told the Commons a short time ago that counter pollution measures will begin once the fire on the Solong has been put out. 

"The MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency) is standing by with marine and aerial counter pollution measures, those are in place. Once we get the fire on the Solong out, we will begin to deploy them, assess the situation and begin to deploy those measures.

"It's vital that we keep shipping lanes open as best we can in the Humber Estuary as this continues."

From above, it's clear this was not a glancing blow - and the two stricken vessels are now miles apart

The two vessels that collided yesterday are now miles apart. 

As we approached the Stena Immaculate tanker in the Sky News helicopter, the gaping hole in the side of the vessel immediately caught the eye - it shows that this wasn't a glancing blow - it was a full-on collision. 

The impact ignited a fireball and set off explosions on board. 

The fire damage that has ripped through the rear section of the vessel is also severe. 

Salvage experts will need to assess things like the temperatures of the metal on board before they can decide if it's safe to get anyone on board.

From above, it was hard to see if the aviation fuel the tanker had been carrying was still leaking into the North Sea, but that isn’t surprising. 

Aviation fuel is almost transparent and far harder to see than something like an oil spill.

Further south, the stricken cargo ship the Solong is in an even worse state - it's drifted along the coastline towards a nature reserve south of Cleethorpes.

Fires are still alight on board and the authorities fear that it may not be able to stay afloat. 

Both vessels will be very challenging to recover. 

Salvagers ready to approach tanker

Salvagers are preparing to approach the Stena Immaculate tanker. 

Martijn Schuttevaer, spokesman for Boskalis, which is the appointed salvage operator for Stena Immaculate, said it is able to approach the vessel to "measure the temperature".

"We are now allowed to approach the vessel to verify, to ascertain, to measure the temperature of the ship, to make sure there are no more hot spots within the vessel," he said.

"Because if there are, and that is something which is quite common, then you run the risk of a flaring up of the fire when oxygen gets there."

He said from the outside "it's looking relatively calm", but at the same time "the vessel is quite charred on the outside".

"We first need to understand the temperatures inside and also confirm whether there are no toxic fumes around the vessel, a safety hazard, before we can then look at what the next step would be to either transfer the cargo or take the vessel into a port."

Grimsby hotels filling up - as affected crew member warns 'massive' impact of crash will 'do a lot of damage'

A major multinational salvage operation is being assembled on the North Sea coast to begin work on the crippled tanker Stena Immaculate.

We’ve spoken to salvage experts who have arrived in Grimsby before heading out to the fire-damaged vessel ten miles off shore.

One firefighter who was scrambled to the scene told us that, although no flames or smoke are currently visible on the surface, it is thought fires down below in the cargo area of the tanker could still be an issue.

As well as firefighting capability, the salvage crews include teams of marine chemists and hazardous materials experts. They have been sourcing breathing apparatus equipment for the operation.

The operation to salvage the US-flagged tanker, which was on a short-term contract to supply fuel to the US Navy, is being coordinated by a salvage specialist based in Texas.

Hotels in Grimsby have also been filling up with crews from vessels unable to dock or depart because of the disruption to traffic into and out of the port. They have little idea when that will return to normal.

One crew member told Sky News: "The impact of this will be massive. The jet fuel on the tanker, the stuff they use to put out the fires, the fuel for the ships themselves - all of that will do a lot of damage."

Missing sailor presumed dead and it's 'unlikely' Solong will remain afloat

Aviation, maritime, and security minister Mike Kane is addressing MPs in the Commons, and offers first an update on the missing crew member. 

"Search and rescue operations for the missing sailor continued throughout yesterday, but were called off yesterday evening, at the point of which the chances of their survival had unfortunately significantly diminished," he says. 

"Our working assumption is that, very sadly, that the sailor is deceased," he says, adding that his company has been advised by the coastguard to speak with his next of kin. 

He also offers an update on the Solong.

"Modelling suggests that should the Solong remain afloat, it will remain clear of land for the next few hours. The assessments of His Majesty's Coastguard is, however, that it is unlikely the vessel will remain afloat."

Coastguard: Solong still alight

We're now hearing from HM Coastguard. 

It says the Solong is still alight, but the blaze on the tanker Stena Immaculate has been greatly diminished. 

The oil tanker was anchored and stationary in the North Sea when it was struck by the Solong. 

It was earlier unclear where the Solong was, with our Sky News helicopter unable to spot it when flying over the site of the collision this morning. 

The coastguard offered some explanation, saying the Solong had drifted southwards and separated from the Stena Immaculate. 

Firefighting and other safety vessels remain on site and coastguard cites the UK health security agency as saying that the risk to public health remained very low. 

Footage shows tanker damage

This up close footage shows the damage to the Stena Immaculate.

The oil tanker was anchored and stationary in the North Sea when it was struck by the Solong. 

No sodium cyanide on board container ship

We've just had a statement through from Ernst Russ, the owner of the container ship Solong.

The statement confirms that no sodium cyanide was on board the vessel, as had been feared.

"We are able to confirm that there are no containers on board ladened with sodium cyanide, as has been misreported. There are four empty containers that have previously contained the hazardous chemical, and these containers will continue to be monitored," the company said in a statement. 

"We extend our deepest sympathy to the family of the missing crew member, mindful that the search has been called off. Our first thoughts must be with them at this uncertain and distressing time," it added. 

"All necessary support is being provided to the family."

The company also thanked emergency services for their efforts. 

"Our team is actively engaged with all local authorities, and we will work with clean-up teams to ensure every effort is made to mitigate further impacts on the marine environment.

"Ernst Russ will fully assist with the investigations that are to follow."

Watch: How did ships collide in the North Sea?

Marine traffic websites suggest the container ship the Solong hit the Stena Immaculate while the oil tanker was anchored and stationary in the North Sea.

Sky's data and forensics correspondent Tom Cheshire has been taking a look at how the collision happened.

Which country will investigate?

A spokesperson for the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has said it is "yet to be decided" which country will lead the investigation into the North Sea collision yesterday, 

That responsibility usually lies with the vessels "flags" - in this case Portugal (for Solong) and the US (for Stena Immaculate).

The UK is is in talks with those two countries, the spokesperson said, because it has an interest because the crash happened in its waters.

The latest images of the tanker - but no sign of cargo ship

These images show the stricken Stena Immaculate as water pours out of its sides. 

Fire is not clearly visible, but we were told early this morning that the blaze was still raging. 

The Sky News helicopter crew who filmed over the tanker earlier this morning say there was no trace of the Solong nearby.

Dutch marine services provider to salvage tanker

A Dutch marine provider will salvage the US-flagged Stena Immaculate tanker.

A spokesman for Boskalis could not give a time frame for the salvaging but said  that four ships carrying foam and extinguishing agents were on the way to put out the fire caused by the collision.

Another company would salvage Solong, the other container ship involved in the collision, although it's not clear which company that may be. 

'A massive ship came out of the blue': Sailor describes escape from tanker

A sailor has described how he escaped from a stricken tanker shortly after the collision yesterday. 

The anonymous crew member of the Stena Immaculate said he was near the impact site when the collision happened. 

Out of nowhere, "a massive ship came from out of the blue", he told CBS News.

He said he only had seconds to react after hearing a shout from another crew member to brace.

He added that the Solong, the other vessel involved, didn't immediately stop and that it crashed into the Stena Immaculate for what seemed like 10 minutes.

Jet fuel and sodium cyanide: How crash could have lethal consequences for wildlife

The crash involving a cargo ship and oil tanker off the East Yorkshire coast is bad news for the sea, fish and air in the area. What we don't know yet is quite how bad it will be.

That depends on a few things - but the speed of the collision, clouds of filthy black smoke from the fires and the leaked fuel are certainly worrying.

Firstly, it matters what was on board those two massive vessels.

-SKY NEWS