Arrested ship’s captain is Russian national

The captain of a cargo ship arrested after a collision with a tanker in the North Sea is a Russian national, the ship’s owner has confirmed.

Humberside Police said the 59-year-old man remained in custody after being arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter on Tuesday.

The Portuguese-flagged Solong and the US-registered tanker Stena Immaculate crashed off the East Yorkshire coast at about 10:00 GMT on Monday.

A missing crew member from the cargo ship is presumed dead after a search and rescue operation was called off late on Monday.

Humberside Police said it had begun a criminal investigation into the cause of the collision and was working with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

“Detectives are continuing to conduct extensive lines of enquiry alongside partners in connection with the collision,” the force said.

Both ships caught fire after the collision triggering a major response from emergency services.

HM Coastguard said 36 people had been rescued and taken safely to shore.

The Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of aviation fuel to be used by the US military.

Its co-owners, Florida-based Crowley, said it had been at anchor waiting for a berth to become available at the Port of Killingholme on the Humber Estuary.

The firm added the crash had caused “multiple explosions” on board and an unknown quantity of jet fuel to be released.