Fires continue to rage off the northeast coast of England after two ships collided on March 10, raising fears of a spill of jet fuel and toxic chemicals into the North Sea, reports „Reuters“, reports News.bg.
After the incident, both crews abandoned their ships. A total of 36 people were rescued and taken to shore, the British Coast Guard said. The search for a missing crew member of the Portuguese-flagged container ship Solong was called off on Monday.
The tanker Stena Immaculate, carrying jet fuel for the US Air Force, was at anchor when it was hit by the smaller container ship Solong. The collision caused some fuel to spill into the sea.
The British government said teams and equipment were deployed to contain the spill, including chemical sprayers and oil spill barriers. The assessment of potential environmental damage is being coordinated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, as well as environmental experts from the East of England.
An aerial surveillance operation is underway to monitor the situation.
According to a report by Lloyd's List Intelligence, the Solong had 15 containers of sodium cyanide on board - a highly toxic substance used in gold mining, as well as an unknown amount of alcohol.
Experts warn that these chemicals could seriously pollute the marine environment, threatening large colonies of protected seabirds such as puffins and northern terns, as well as the fishing industry in the region.
British maritime authorities said there was no indication of malicious action. The investigation into the crash will be led primarily by authorities in the United States and Portugal, whose flags the two ships fly.
The collision occurred in a busy sea corridor, prompting a large-scale rescue operation involving aircraft, rescue boats and specialist vessels.