MORE than 30 casualties have been brought ashore following a collision between a tanker and a cargo ship in the North Sea.
Lifeboats and a coastguard helicopter were called to the collision in the Humber Estuary near Grimsby on Monday morning, involving a US-flagged tanker called the MV Stena Immaculate.
Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, said 13 casualties were initially brought in on a Windcat 33 vessel, followed by another 10, then another nine, on a harbour pilot boat.
Some crew members are yet to be accounted for, a port boss has said. Conditions of all casualties remain unclear.
Solong — a Portuguese-flagged container — appears on radar to collide with the tanker at around 9.48am.
Boyers said he was told a "massive fireball" was seen after the collision, but added that the ships are too far away from shore to see.
He said: "We have seen the vessels bringing" the casualties in from the ships.
"They must have sent a mayday out - luckily there was a crew transfer vessel out there already. Since then there has been a flotilla of ambulances to pick up anyone they can find."
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander reacted to the news on social media, thanking rescue services.
She said: “I’m concerned to hear of the collision between two vessels in the North Sea this morning and am liaising with officials and HM Coastguard as the situation develops.
“I want to thank all emergency service workers involved for their continued efforts in responding to the incident.”
A HM Coastguard spokesperson said: “HM Coastguard is currently co-ordinating the emergency response to reports of a collision between a tanker and cargo vessel off the coast of East Yorkshire.
“The alarm was raised at 9.48am.
“A Coastguard Rescue Helicopter from Humberside was called, alongside lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Maplethorpe and Cleethorpes, an HM Coastguard fixed wing aircraft, and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability.
“The incident remains ongoing.”
