San Francisco Frontiers - UK makes manslaughter arrest over North Sea ship crash

Investigations have already started into what led a cargo ship to strike a tanker carrying jet fuel on Monday, as fears remained of possible harm to the area's marine and wildlife.

The UK Coastguard, which led the operation, rescued 36 people on Monday, including all the 23 crew on the US-flagged Stena Immaculate tanker, which had been chartered by the US military.

But a missing member of the Solong cargo vessel crew was "likely deceased", UK transport minister Mike Kane told parliament.

Police in England reported an arrest, but released little information about the suspect.

"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," Humberside police's senior investigating officer Craig Nicholson said in a statement.

Kane also said the fire on the Stena Immaculate "appears to be extinguished" but this was not immediately confirmed by the Coastguard.

"The Solong is still alight and the fire on board the Stena Immaculate has greatly diminished," the UK Coastguard said.

The Coastguard was closely monitoring the Solong, which had broken free of the tanker overnight and was limping southwards, accompanied by four tug boats, including one which had a line attached to the stricken vessel.

AFP photos taken during a helicopter fly-over showed smoke still pouring from the Solong, while a large hole could be seen in the side of the Stena Immaculate.

The accident occurred at around 09:48 am (0948 GMT) on Monday when the Portuguese-flagged cargo ship ploughed into the tanker, anchored about 13 miles off the northeastern port of Hull.

The Stena Immaculate was on a short-term US military charter with Military Sealift Command, according to a spokesperson for the command, which operates civilian-crewed ships for the US Defense Department.

Crowley, the US-based operator of the Stena Immaculate, said the crash had "ruptured" the tank "containing A1-jet fuel" and triggered a fire, with fuel "reported released".

There was "no evidence of foul play," Kane in his statement to parliament.

- No sodium cyanide -

The Stena Immaculate was carrying around 220,000 barrels of jet fuel, Crowley confirmed.

The German owners of the Solong said on Tuesday however that the container ship was not carrying sodium cyanide, as had been reported the previous day.

"We are able to confirm that there are no containers on board with sodium cyanide (inside)," German shipping company Ernst Russ said.

Kane said "as it currently stands, no signs of pollution from vessels is observed at this time.

"But monitoring is in place and should that change, assets in place, they will be provided as needed," he added.

Dutch maritime servicing company Boskalis told the Netherlands' ANP news agency it had been tasked with salvaging the Stena Immaculate.

- Environmental concerns -

Four ships with firefighting capacity were dispatched to the site, a Boskalis spokesperson said, adding the tanker would need to be "cooled down" before the fire could be extinguished.

Much of the heavy smoke and flames have cleared and the company was now checking for "hotspots" on the ship which could potentially still indicate on board fires, spokesman Martjin Schuttevaer.

Boskalis was also measuring the atmosphere around the vessel for potential toxic fumes.

"We want to make absolutely sure it's safe before we board the vessel," he said

UK Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said the investigation was being led by US and Portuguese authorities, since the vessels were sailing under their flags.

"We're obviously very alive to the potential impact on the environment," he told Times Radio, but added the Coastguard was well equipped to deal with any oil spills.

"The good news is... it's not like a crude oil spill," Ivor Vince, founder of environmental risk advisory group ASK Consultants, told AFP.

"Most of it will evaporate quite quickly and what doesn't evaporate will be degraded by microorganisms quite quickly," he said.

But Paul Johnston, a senior scientist at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories at Exeter University, said: "We are extremely concerned about the multiple toxic hazards."

There are several nature reserves along the Humber estuary.

"We don't want to see wildlife dying. It's a chain of events. it affects the wildlife which could then affect other (species)", she added.

R.Baker--SFF