Russian captain charged with manslaughter after North Sea tanker collision

The captain of a Russian cargo ship involved in a collision with a tanker in the North Sea off the coast of England has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter, UK police announced.

Vladimir Motin, 59, from Primorsky, St. Petersburg, Russia, was arrested following the crash on March 10 when his ship, the Solong, collided with the Stena Immaculate, causing both vessels to catch fire. The crash occurred off the coast of Hull in northeastern England, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

Humberside Police confirmed Motin’s charge in a statement, adding that he would appear at Hull Magistrates' Court on March 15. The police also confirmed that extensive search efforts had been conducted by the HM Coastguard to locate a missing crew member from the Solong, identified as Mark Angelo Pernia, a 38-year-old Filipino national. Pernia is now presumed deceased.

The Stena Immaculate, which was chartered by the US military, was anchored at the time of the collision. Fortunately, all crew members aboard the US-flagged vessel were rescued, and no injuries were reported among them.

Investigators, however, continue to probe the causes of the crash, as authorities ruled out foul play but still face challenges in determining the exact sequence of events. Despite the British government’s statement that there was no intentional wrongdoing, pockets of fire were reported on the Solong as late as March 13 evening, according to the UK Coastguard.

The fire on both ships raged for several days, prompting a massive firefighting effort. Salvage teams boarded both vessels on March 13 to begin initial damage assessments.

The Russian embassy in London has confirmed that none of the five Russian crew members aboard the Solong were injured, and Russian consular officials have been in contact with the captain by phone.

The investigation into the incident continues, and police are following multiple lines of enquiry as they work to uncover the full details of this tragic event.

By Vafa Guliyeva