The MV Solong was left badly burnt following the collision on Monday

Captain charged over North Sea tanker collision

· RTE.ie

The Russian captain of the container ship which crashed into a US oil tanker in the North Sea has been charged over the death of a crew member who is missing and presumed dead.

The Solong's master Vladimir Motin, 59, of Primorsky, St Petersburg, in Russia, will appear at Hull Magistrates' Court tomorrow charged with gross negligence manslaughter, Humberside Police said.

The tanker Stena Immaculate, which carries jet fuel for the US military, was at anchor when it was struck by the smaller MV Solong, causing huge fires and explosions, and releasing fuel into the sea.

The Stena Immaculate was left with a gaping hole in its hull

A statement from Humberside Police said: "An investigation by Humberside Police supported by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) into the collision between a tanker and a cargo vessel in the North Sea, off the coast of East Yorkshire, has resulted in a man being charged.

"On Monday, 10 March, Humberside Police received a report at around 11am that a collision had occurred between the two vessels, resulting in one crew member being reported missing.

"Extensive searches were carried out by HM Coastguard to locate the missing crew member, now presumed deceased. The family are being supported by specialist trained officers and our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time."

Aerial footage showed a gaping hole in Stena Immaculate's hull with fire damage along its length while the MV Solong was left badly burnt.

Authorities and operators of the vessels have yet to offer an explanation of how the crash happened, or why multiple safety systems on board modern vessels failed to prevent the crash.

Data from maritime analytics website Marine Traffic showed the 183-metre (600ft) Stena Immaculate was anchored off Immingham, northeast England, when it was struck by the 140-metre (460ft) Solong, which was en route to Rotterdam.

The Solong was sailing at cruise speed and close to the maximum of around 18-19 knots, shipping sources said, and the vessel had sailed through the same area on past voyages.